WALES

Departmental Manpower

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time employees her Department has employed in each year since 1997.

David Jones: The Wales Office was established on 1 July 1999 so we have data only from the financial year 1999-2000. Although total numbers are available for years 2000-11, as can be seen in the following table, data on the breakdown between full-time and part-time staff are available only for 2000, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
	
		
			 Financial year ending Total staff numbers Number of part-time staff 
			 2000 36 5 
			 2001 44 n/a 
			 2001 42 n/a 
			 2003 48 n/a 
			 2004 50 n/a 
			 2005 54 n/a 
			 2006 54 n/a 
			 2007 57 n/a 
			 2008 54 n/a 
			 2009 56 2 
			 2010 60 3 
			 2011 56 4 
			 n/a = not available

HOME DEPARTMENT

Bolivia: Drugs

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to encourage Bolivia to re-accede to the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 13 October 2011
	Bolivia withdrew from the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961 on 1 July 2011. The Bolivian Government have announced that they will reapply to the convention in January 2012, with a reserve on the articles relating to the prohibition of coca leaf. The international community will then have 12 months to consider the reserve. The Government continue to engage with their EU and international partners, including the Bolivian Government, to formulate their position.
	We remain committed to working with Bolivia to tackle the drugs trade, which causes harm to both our countries. A Memorandum of Understanding on Drugs Co-operation was signed in January 2011 to formalise this commitment.

Alcoholic Drinks: Antisocial Behaviour

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research her Department has (a) evaluated and (b) conducted on (i) the effects of different types of alcohol and (ii) the relationship between types of alcoholic products and anti-social behaviour.

James Brokenshire: The Government have not evaluated or conducted any research on the effects of different types of alcohol or the relationship between types of alcoholic products and antisocial behaviour.
	It has however considered issues of price and alcohol in the report “Alcohol Pricing, and Criminal Harm” by Sheffield university, which was published in December 2008.

Counter-terrorism

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to prevent terrorist acts sponsored by foreign states from taking place in the UK.

James Brokenshire: The Government's counter-terrorism strategy, Contest, published in July 2011, is designed to deal with the full range of terrorist threats to the UK and its interests, including any which may be sponsored by foreign states.

Crime: Football

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many orders under section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 have been served on football supporters since its inception; how many such orders have been served in the last 12 months; whether any discussions have taken place with (a) the Association of Chief Police Officers, (b) the UK Football Policing Unit and (c) individual police forces on the appropriate use of section 27; what assessment she has made of whether section 27 is being used appropriately; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The UK Football Policing Unit has collected data on orders issued under section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, from local police football intelligence officers since the start of the 2009-10 football season. Police data submitted to the UK Football Policing Unit, from more than 3,000 football matches each season, show police issued section 27 notices to football supporters on 60 occasions during 2009-10 and 69 occasions during 2010-11. The number of individuals receiving notices during these incidents was not recorded, but totals around 500 each season, from a total attendance of approximately 37 million.
	Discussions took place in 2009 between Home Office, the UK Football Policing Unit, the Association of Chief Police Officers and individual police forces on the use of section 27 powers during police football operations. These discussions focused on the need to ensure that any use is proportionate and appropriate, fully compliant with the Act, follows Home Office guidance and does not stereotype the behaviours of groups of football supporters. The decision to use section 27 is an operational matter for chief officers.

Departmental Allowances

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much members of her departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010.

Damian Green: Information relating to the expenses of management board members is published quarterly and is available on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/non-personal-data/hospitality-business-expenses/

Departmental Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost to her Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of invoices settled in that period her Department paid (a) electronically and (b) by cheque.

Damian Green: The Home Office processes its invoices through the Ministry of Justice Shared Service Centre. The devolved nature of the process within the Home Office means that a full end-to-end cost is difficult to identify but the costs to the Department for the Shared Service Centre can be identified.
	The average cost in September 2011 based on the average cost for the previous 12 months was £4.62 per invoice. This was the cost of the Shared Service Centre teams directly involved with processing the invoice and their share of the overheads. It does not include Home Office costs internally such as requisitioners, buyers, approvers and receipters. This figure covers the core headquarters and the UK Border Agency only. Other Home Office agencies and non-departmental public bodies do not use the Shared Service Centre for their transactions.
	The proportion of invoices paid electronically to date during 2011-12 is 97.03% and the proportion paid by cheque for the same period is 2.97% These are the latest financial data available.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts her Department has awarded directly to third sector organisations in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The Home Department has not awarded any contracts to third sector organisations since May 2010. The Home Office awards contracts through fair and open competition and in accordance with EU procurement directives.
	The Department makes a number of grant payments direct to third sector organisations to assist in the implementation of policies. This is the main route to providing funding to the third sector as opposed to the contractual route.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts her Department has awarded directly to (a) small, (b) medium-sized and (c) large businesses in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The Home Department and its executive agencies do not differentiate small and medium businesses. Since May 2010, 38 contracts have been awarded directly to small and medium-sized businesses and 196 to large businesses.
	Details of the contracts are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Business Type Month Year Number Contract value (£) 
			 SME October 2010 2 203,148 
			 SME November 2010 1 2,100,000 
			 SME December 2010 2 4,500,000 
			 SME January 2011 2 322,808 
			 SME February 2011 3 449,272 
			 SME March 2011 2 174,778 
			 SME April 2011 14 932,556 
			 SME May 2011 7 486,284 
			 SME June 2011 2 129,867 
			 SME July 2011 1 85,799 
			 SME August 2011 2 200,981 
			 Large Businesses June 2010 3 3,638,000 
			 Large Businesses July 2010 7 4,436,169 
			 Large Businesses August 2010 1 2,600,000 
			 Large Businesses September 2010 2 12,608 
			 Large Businesses October 2010 3 47,095,000 
			 Large Businesses November 2010 4 12,111,748 
			 Large Businesses December 2010 2 19,176,000 
			 Large Businesses January 2011 21 7,613,622 
			 Large Businesses February 2011 8 2,028,293 
			 Large Businesses March 2011 12 980,260 
			 Large Businesses April 2011 43 65,600,270 
			 Large Businesses May 2011 19 2,465,806 
			 Large Businesses June 2011 37 15,026,636 
			 Large Businesses July 2011 23 8,330,287 
			 Large Businesses August 2011 10 1,031,638 
			 Large Businesses September 2011 1 8,343,639 
		
	
	The Department awards contracts in competition according to the EU Procurement Directives based on value for money.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts her Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; what proportion were awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b) small businesses; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The Home Department and its executive agencies began using Contract Finder in February 2011. Since then 37 contracts have been advertised.
	The total value of contracts advertised on Contract Finder by the Home Department since February 2011 was £8,940,000.
	The Home Department and its executive agencies do not differentiate small and medium businesses and therefore can only provide the details of contracts awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b)small and medium sized businesses (SME) in the table:
	
		
			 2011 
			  All contracts, number awarded All contracts, value (£) (a) Third Sector, contracts, number awarded (a) Third Sector contracts, value (£) (b) SMEs contracts, number awarded (b) SMEs contracts, value (£) Proportion of contracts awarded to SMEs (%) 
			 February 4 1,200,000 0 0 1 160,000 25.0 
			 March 3 100,000 0 0 0 0  
			 April 8 180,000 0 0 1 11,000 12.5 
			 May 8 1,200,000 0 0 2 140,000 25.0 
			 June 9 950,000 0 0 1 65,000 11.0 
			 July 4 5,200,000 0 0 0 0 — 
			 August 1 110,000 0 0 0 0 — 
			 September 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 
		
	
	Details of the contracts provided to small business alone could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department awards contracts in competition according to the EU Procurement Directives based on value for money.

Domestic Violence

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many recorded instances of domestic violence there were in England and Wales in 2010-11;
	(2)  how many people were convicted for offences of domestic violence in England and Wales in 2010-11.

Lynne Featherstone: The available information shows the number of reported domestic violence incidents, 2010-11, the figures are provisional and have not been verified by forces.
	The Ministry of Justice's Court Proceedings Database (CPD) holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. The CPD does not hold specific information on offences beyond descriptions provided in the statutes under which prosecutions are brought. It is not possible to separately identify domestic violence offences from other offences of assault and violence against the person. Court proceedings data for 2011 are scheduled for publication in spring 2012.
	
		
			 Total number of reported domestic violence incidents, 2010-11 (1, 2) 
			  Total number of reported domestic violence incidents 
			 Avon and Somerset 15,648 
			 Bedfordshire 9,137 
			 Cambridgeshire 12,830 
			 Cheshire 5,887 
			 Cleveland 15,042 
			 Cumbria 6,455 
			 Derbyshire 18,363 
			 Devon and Cornwall 24,972 
			 Dorset 6,946 
			 Durham 13,025 
			 Dyfed-Powys 2,004 
			 Essex 21,385 
			 Gloucestershire — 
			 Greater Manchester — 
			 Gwent 443 
			 Hampshire 24,009 
			 Hertfordshire 11,675 
			 Humberside 16,409 
			 Kent 21,633 
			 Lancashire 27,615 
			 Leicestershire 12,492 
			 Lincolnshire 7,232 
			 London, City of 107 
			 Merseyside 31,069 
			 Metropolitan Police 121,314 
			 Norfolk 8,546 
			 Northamptonshire — 
			 Northumbria 28,167 
			 North Wales 10,766 
			 North Yorkshire 7,504 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,670 
			 South Wales 28,016 
			 South Yorkshire 23,725 
			 Staffordshire 16,193 
			 Suffolk 7,556 
			 Surrey 12,731 
			 Sussex 17,384 
			 Thames Valley 32,186 
			 Warwickshire 7,855 
			 West Mercia 16,431 
			 West Midlands 41,494 
		
	
	
		
			 West Yorkshire 34,742 
			 Wiltshire 4,584 
			 (1) All data are provisional and unverified with forces. (2) Data is not available for Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester and Northamptonshire.

Fly-tipping

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) arrested on suspicion of and (b) convicted for offences related to fly-tipping in each London borough since 1997.

James Brokenshire: The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and criminal damage.
	Further breakdowns of offences within these offence groups are not reported to the Home Office.
	Data provided by the Ministry of Justice, showing the number of people found guilty at all courts for ‘fly-tipping’ in England and Wales from 1997 to 2010 (latest available) are given in the following table.
	The Ministry of Justice advises that court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring of 2012.
	
		
			 Number of persons found guilty at all courts for ‘fly-tipping’ (1)  and other related offences, England and Wales 1997 to 2010 (2,3) 
			  Number of persons found guilty 
			 1997 250 
			 1998 304 
			 1999 324 
			 2000 411 
			 2001 446 
			 2002 557 
			 2003 624 
			 2004 791 
			 2005 931 
			 2006 1,102 
			 2007 1,218 
			 2008 1,193 
			 2009 1,184 
			 2010 1,270 
			 (1) Covers offences under sections 33(1), 33{6),33(8),33{9),34 and 59 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Homicide

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many domestic homicide reviews took place in each of the last five years; and in what proportion of cases there was evidence of stalking or harassment of the victim.

Lynne Featherstone: The information requested is not available. The statutory requirement to undertake Domestic Homicide Reviews only came into effect on 13 April 2011. For this reason there was no previous requirement to notify the Government of reviews being undertaken.

Human Trafficking: Northern Ireland

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of people trafficked through Northern Ireland in the latest period for which figures are available.

Damian Green: holding answer 17 October 2011
	No estimate has been made of the number of people trafficked through Northern Ireland.
	As set out in the Government's strategy on human trafficking, we are strengthening action at the border to improve our ability to identify those most at risk. The Home Office is working closely with the Ministry of Justice in Northern Ireland to strengthen UK borders against serious and organised crime threats such as human trafficking.

Metals: Theft

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce the incidence of scrap metal theft.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office contributes to the wide-ranging plan of work being delivered by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Metal Theft working group to tackle metal theft. In addition, discussions are taking place with other Government Departments to identify whether any legislative changes should be made to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964.

Metals: Theft

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to reduce levels of theft of copper and lead from buildings.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office contributes to the work being delivered by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Metal Theft working group to tackle metal theft. In addition, discussions are taking place with other Government Departments to identify whether any legislative changes should be made to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964. The Home Office's Forum for Innovation in Crime Prevention is also looking at how innovative design and technology could be used to tackle the increasing incidence of metal theft, both now and in the future.

Metals: Theft

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the Association of Chief Police Officers' Conductive Metal Theft Working Group has met in 2011; and on which occasions a Minister has attended.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 17 October 2011
	The Association of Chief Police Officers' (ACPO) Metal Theft Working Group has met three times during 2011.
	The Home Office is represented at these meetings by officials; Ministers do not attend.

Metals: Theft

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) publications and (b) legislative proposals have been brought forward by the Association of Chief Police Officers' Conductive Metal Thefts Working Group.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 17 October 2011
	In September 2011, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Metal Theft Working Group supplied the Home Office with a report from Deloitte on the estimated cost of metal theft; in addition, in 2010, they compiled a metal theft problem profile.
	Separately, in September 2011 the British Transport police provided the Home Office with suggested changes to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964.

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much direct funding her Department has allocated to each civil society organisation in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and (e) 2014-15; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department provided £56.9 million grant funding to the voluntary and community sector (VCS) during 2010-11. Forecasted funding for 2011-12 is £57 million, but, since grant applications have not been fully received, it is not yet possible to break 2011-12 spend down by organisation. No forecasts are yet available for 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15.
	The Home Office funded hundreds of VCS organisations during 2010-11 The following table lists those paid more than £250,000 during the year.
	
		
			 Third parties Grant spend in 2010/11 (£) 
			 Refugee Council 7,294,672.50 
			 Catch 22 5,456,030.00 
			 Refugee Action 4,982,070.02 
			 Eaves Housing for Women Ltd 2,198,280.00 
			 Co-ordinated Action 1,250,991.38 
			 Scottish Refugee Council 1,211,648.25 
			 Welsh Refugee Council 955,681.00 
			 Migrant Helpline 944,472.50 
			 Crimestoppers Trust 900,000.00 
			 The Survivors Trust 898,333.00 
			 Police Dependants' Trust 453,481.33 
			 Active Change Foundation 360,640.82 
			 London Tigers 336,739.57 
			 Princes Trust 326,100.00 
			 Inner City Guidance 304,997.30 
			 Strategy to Reach Empower and Educate 295,388.00 
			 Initiative for Muslim Progression 282,255.24 
			 Siraat Ltd 281,015.00 
			 Refuge 272,100.00 
		
	
	
		
			 Womens Aid 260,000.00 
			 Fast 252,525.00 
		
	
	Providing a full list of organisations would involve significant data cleansing activity which would result in a disproportionate cost to the Department.

UK Border Agency: Manpower

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff of (a) the UK Border Agency and (b) her Department were seconded to the Prison and Probation Ombudsman in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007, (iv) 2008, (v) 2009 and (vi) 2010.

Damian Green: The information stored on our central computerised personnel system Adelphi, does not enable us to answer the question directly, it records the numbers of staff seconded out from (a) the UK Border Agency and (b) the Department but it does not record the specifics of the recipient organisation. In order to answer the question it would be necessary to inspect the manual personnel files of all those seconded out over the years concerned. For this reason the information could not be provided except at disproportionate cost.
	The Office of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has been asked to comment. They advise that for the period 2007-10 inclusive there were no staff seconded from (a) the UK Border Agency, or (b) the Department. They do not have records for the years 2005 and 2006.

TREASURY

Air Passenger Duty: Northern Ireland

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on devolving air passenger duty to Northern Ireland.

Chloe Smith: From 1 November 2011, the rate of air passenger duty (APD) for direct long-haul passengers departing from airports in Northern Ireland will be cut to the short-haul rate, which is currently £12 in economy and £24 in business and first class.
	This measure is a response to the unique challenge facing Northern Ireland and is designed to ensure local airports remain competitive, demonstrating the Government's commitment to stimulating and rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy.
	In parallel the Government are launching a process for the devolution of aspects of APD to the Northern Ireland Assembly to provide a lasting solution to the unique circumstances Northern Ireland faces.
	Devolution of APD to Northern Ireland will require primary legislation. The precise scope of devolution will be agreed in close consultation with the Northern Ireland Executive.

Bank Services: Switzerland

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likelihood of UK taxpayers with bank accounts in Switzerland moving such accounts from Switzerland as a result of the agreement with that country on offshore tax evasion.

David Gauke: It is impossible to give a precise assessment of the likelihood of UK taxpayers moving their accounts from Switzerland. Under the terms of the agreement the Swiss authorities will give HMRC details of the top 10 destinations of funds which do move from there. Any person who moves funds from Switzerland and does not pay the tax levied under the agreement will still be liable for all UK taxes on those funds.

European Fighter Aircraft

Graham Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department was represented when the decision was taken to slow down orders for tranche 3A of the Eurofighter.

Danny Alexander: The decision to slow down orders for tranche 3A of the Eurofighter was taken by the Ministry of Defence. The agreement was signed on 28 July 2011. The Treasury has not been involved in this decision, as it falls within MOD's delegated authority.

National Insurance Contributions: Birmingham

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in Birmingham, Ladywood constituency have participated in the national insurance holiday scheme.

David Gauke: A breakdown of successful applications for the NICs Holiday by constituency will be published in the NICs Holiday Factsheet in the House of Commons Library in the autumn.

National Insurance: Databases

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value in current prices is of the (a) original estimate and (b) final cost of the National Insurance Recording System 2; and what additional costs, in current prices have been incurred since its completion.

David Gauke: The NIRS2 project was instigated by the then Department of Social Security prior to the merger of the Contributions Agency into the former Inland Revenue Department. The contract with Accenture started in May 1995 and finished in April 2004 and it was subsequently subsumed into the Aspire contract between the former Inland Revenue Department and Capgemini (which entered into force in July 2004), with effect from January 2005.
	Since June 2009, the NIRS2 service has been delivered as part of the National Insurance and PAYE (NPS) and Associated Services and the figures given in the following tables include NPS development and running costs, as well as NIRS2 costs and costs on-charged to the Department of Work and Pensions.
	Since January 2005, the following costs have been charged under the Aspire contract.
	
		
			 Running costs to August 2011 
			  £ million 
			 NIRS2 55.789 
			 NPS 10.122 
			 DWP 6.507 
			 Note: The DWP figure is on-charged to DWP and may be. included in any figures provided by that department. 
		
	
	
		
			 Project costs to August 2011 
			  £ million 
			 NPS 13.607 
			 NIRS2 1.214 
			 NIRS 27.425 
			 Note: None of the costs above have been grossed up to today's prices

Pensions: Females

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of recipients of tax relief on pension contributions were women in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Gauke: holding answer 12 October 2011
	The estimated proportion of individuals receiving tax relief on pension contributions that were women was 46% for the year 2009/10.
	The information is published on the HMRC website at the following address:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/pensions/table7-11.pdf

Revenue and Customs: Scotland

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many HM Customs and Excise staff were employed in Scotland in each year since 1997.

David Gauke: The following table contains a breakdown of the headcount and full-time equivalent staff for HM Revenue and Customs and prior to that HM Customs and Excise based in Scotland at the end of each financial year from 1 April 1997. Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise merged to form HMRC in April 2005. For 1997-99 only headcount figures are available.
	
		
			  Date Headcount FTE 
			 HMRC 31 March 2011 9,860 8,826.6 
			  31 March 2010 10,031 9,038.0 
			  1 April 2009 11,063 10,039.5 
			  1 April 2008 11,018 10,131.7 
			  1 April 2007 11,464 10,519.9 
			  1 April 2006 11,415 10,470.6 
			     
			 HMCE 1 April 2005 1,324 1,288.2 
			  1 April 2004 1,275 1,240.8 
			  1 April 2003 1,222 1,190.4 
			  1 April 2002 1,215 1,184.7 
			  1 April 2001 1,291 1,255.6 
			  1 April 2000 1,324 1,289.5 
			  1 April 1999 1,363 n/a 
			  1 April 1998 1,397 n/a 
			  1 April 1997 1,447 n/a

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the cost of telephone calls made by the public to HM Revenue and Customs; and whether he plans to reduce the cost to individuals of such calls.

David Gauke: holding answer 12 October 2011
	The cost of calling HMRC is dependent on several factors. Calls are charged to the customer based on the tariff arrangements they have with their service provider, the device they use for the call and the location from which they call.
	However, HMRC recognises that the cost of calling its 0845 numbers can be an issue for some customers—particularly those using pay-as-you-go mobile phones. It has therefore been actively reviewing its numbering strategy to see if it can find ways of reducing the costs involved while striking the right balance between costs to the caller and costs to the public purse.
	I can confirm that as part of the process of agreeing its next telephony contract—which is due to take effect by June 2013—HMRC will continue to investigate alternatives to 0845 numbers. As a first and immediate step, HMRC expect that it will by the end of the year be able to offer an 0345 number for those customers calling its tax credit helpline (which last year accounted for around 40% of the total calls handled by its contact centre network).
	The provision of a 0345 number is expected to result in significant cost savings for the majority of callers to the line.

Tax Avoidance

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many promoters HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has required to disclose tax avoidance schemes since May 2010; how many such schemes have been (a) investigated and (b) closed (i) since May 2010 and (ii) in each year since 2005; and how many schemes are under investigation by HMRC.

David Gauke: Since 1 May 2010 78 promoters have disclosed tax avoidance schemes under the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes legislation.
	To remove any doubt about a scheme's effectiveness, legislation has been changed in relation to the following numbers of disclosed schemes in each year since 2005:
	
		
			  Number 
			 1 June 2005 - 31 May 2006 223 
			 1 June 2006 - 31 May 2007 173 
			 1 June 2007 - 31 May 2008 101 
			 1 June 2008 - 31 May 2009 40 
			 1 June 2009 - 31 May 2010 18 
			 1 June 2010 - 31 May 2011 17 
		
	
	Legislative changes are, of course, just one of the ways in which HMRC may respond to disclosures.
	All disclosures received by HMRC are subject to close examination. It is the returns of scheme users that are potentially subject to enquiry rather than the scheme disclosure itself and each disclosed scheme may have multiple users. Many users of the schemes are subject to further investigation by HMRC's teams of tax specialists. Although information on investigations is held by HMRC, it is not collated centrally in the form requested and it is not possible to provide details within the time and cost constraints.

Tax Collection: Foreign Workers

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the possible effect of changes to Tier 1 and Tier 2 visas on tax collection from migrant workers.

Damian Green: I have been asked to reply.
	An Impact Assessment of respect of the impacts, including the fiscal impacts, of the changes made to Tiers 1 and 2 of the Points Based System in connection with implementation of limits on migration was published by the UK Border Agency on 16 March 2011, and can be found at:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/ia/migration-perm-limit-pbs/

Taxation: Civil Disorder

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses have made special arrangements with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs for the payment of tax due to the public disorder of August 2011.

David Gauke: As at 12 October 2011 Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) had agreed 166 time to pay arrangements through its Civil Disorder Helpline.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the level of farming regulation.

James Paice: The Government remain committed to reducing the burden of regulation on farmers and the authorities they deal with. The independent Task Force on Farming Regulation published its report on 17 May. The Government are now carefully considering implementation of the report's recommendations, and expect to provide an initial public response this autumn followed by a final response early in 2012.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken in respect of the resolution of the House of 23 June 2011 to introduce a regulation banning the use of all wild animals in circuses to take effect by 1 July 2012.

James Paice: The Government understand the House's desire for a ban and are continuing to assess how the legal obstacles may be overcome so that one could be achieved.
	In the meantime, we are developing a tough licensing regime which will stop circuses using wild animals if they do not provide appropriate welfare standards and will consult on these early next year. We want regulations in place by July 2012.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress she has made in banning the use of wild animals in circuses by July 2012.

James Paice: The Government understand the House's desire for a ban and are continuing to look at how the legal obstacles may be overcome so that one could be achieved.
	In the meantime, we are developing a tough licensing regime which will stop circuses using wild animals if they do not provide appropriate welfare standards and will consult on these early next year. We want regulations in place by July 2012.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made towards the introduction of a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.

James Paice: The Government understand the House's desire for a ban and are continuing to look at how the legal obstacles may be overcome so that one could be achieved.
	In the meantime, we are developing a tough licensing regime which will stop circuses using wild animals if they don't provide appropriate welfare standards and will consult on these early next year. We want regulations in place by July 2012.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timetable she has set for the introduction of a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.

James Paice: The Government understand the House's desire for a ban and are continuing to assess how the legal obstacles may be overcome so that one could be achieved.
	In the meantime, we are developing a tough licensing regime which will stop circuses using wild animals if they do not provide appropriate welfare standards. We will be looking to consult on the proposals in early 2012 with a view to having regulations in place by July 2012.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken towards banning the use of wild animals in circuses.

James Paice: The Government understand the House's desire for a ban and are continuing to assess how the legal obstacles may be overcome so that one could be achieved.
	In the meantime, we are developing a tough licensing regime which will stop circuses using wild animals unless they provide appropriate welfare standards and we will consult on these early next year. We want regulations in place by July 2012.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2011, Official Report, column 1085W, on wildlife: circuses, what estimate she has made of the cost of enforcing a licensing scheme for wild animals in circuses using Government approved vets.

James Paice: It is our intention that the costs of enforcing a licensing scheme for animals in circuses will be borne by the circus industry itself, through the cost of the licence fee. DEFRA intends to hold a public consultation on the proposals in early 2012. The consultation package will include an impact assessment that will set out our estimate of the costs of enforcing, in addition to meeting, the standards we will be proposing.

Animal Welfare: Standards

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if her Department will provide additional support for farmers who apply stricter animal welfare standards than the EU minimum.

James Paice: Farmers who apply stricter animal welfare standards than the EU minimum can demonstrate that their products have added value, and are therefore able to market them at, and charge, a premium. While the Government support farmers' efforts to adhere to, and exceed, EU animal welfare standards, we do not believe there is a case for market intervention in this case.

Animals: Electric Shock Equipment

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the use of electronic training aids for (a) cats and (b) other animals.

James Paice: We are currently evaluating recent research on the use of electronic training collars for dogs before making any decisions on whether to introduce any legislative proposals relating to such devices. The research is expected to be published before the end of the year.

Biofuels

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had with the Environment Agency on the (a) disposal of glycerol, (b) use of chemicals such as methanol and (c) need for biodiesel on UK roads to meet EU Standard EN14214 in respect of producers of biodiesel made from waste cooking oil who do not require a permit.

James Paice: Any business treating waste cooking oil to produce biodiesel legally will either require an environmental permit or, if it qualifies, have to register an exemption from the need for a permit.
	The Environment Agency has produced position statements on “The use of glycerol produced during the manufacture of biodiesel as a fuel” and another on “The environmental regulation of the production and use of biofuel”. We have not discussed the use of biofuels on the roads, which is a matter for the Department for Transport and does not involve the Environment Agency.
	DEFRA officials have met representatives of industry and the Environment Agency about the theft of waste cooking oil and possible illegal manufacture of biodiesel.

Fortified Vitamins

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the potential effects in the UK of Danish legislation on fortified vitamins.

Anne Milton: I have been asked to reply.
	Legislation on the addition of vitamins and minerals to food is harmonised at European Union level, the impact of which was assessed prior to its introduction in 2007. A copy of the Regulatory Impact Assessment is available at:
	www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/addsubstanceeng07ria.pdf
	Media reports claiming that Denmark has ‘banned' a number of well known British foods are incorrect. The media reports relate to products that had not been notified to the Danish authorities in accordance with EU legislation on fortified foods as implemented in Denmark.

Ofwat: Public Appointments

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to announce the new Chairman of Ofwat; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA and the Welsh Government have decided to relaunch a recruitment exercise to appoint a new Chair of the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat). Philip Fletcher CBE has agreed to remain as the Ofwat Chair until his successor is appointed.

Poultry: Animal Welfare

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received on the implementation of the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive in each other EU member state; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has recently written a joint letter with nine other like-minded member states to the Commission urging them to act to deal with the likelihood of non-compliance from 1 January 2012.
	The Commission requested that all member states provide a further update on the level of conversion out of conventional cages as at 27 September. The UK has submitted this return.

EDUCATION

Care to Learn Scheme

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many parents aged (a) under 16, (b) 16, (c) 17, (d) 18, (e) 19 and (f) 20 received support through the Care to Learn scheme in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the Care to Learn Childcare Support scheme for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 14 October 2011
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ73656.
	The information you requested about the number of parents who have received Care to Learn is as follows:
	
		
			  Age 
			 Academic year Under 16 16 17 18 19 20 
			 2007/08 330 681 1,384 2,108 2,230 964 
			 2008/09 340 658 1,357 2,067 2,226 1,066 
			 2009/10 368 779 1,576 2,416 2,342 372 
			 2010/11 325 657 1,389 2,118 1,882 237 
			 2011/12(1) 61 201 393 663 616 91 
			 (1 )These are take-up figures as at 30 September 2011, all other figures reflect the full academic year and are therefore greater.

Training Studies

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what longitudinal studies on speech, language and communication his Department undertook in each of the last five years.

Sarah Teather: The Department is funding the Better Communication Research programme which aims to provide an understanding of the cost-effectiveness of interventions used to support children and young people with speech, language and communication needs and identify good practice. The programme includes a longitudinal study of pupils with speech, language and communication needs and autism which began in 2009. The final report from the programme is due in 2012.

Early Intervention Grant

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the (a) cash and (b) percentage change was in the early intervention grant to each London borough in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 13 September 2011
	The Early Intervention Grant (EIG) is a new un-ring-fenced and un-hypothecated grant which came into effect in April 2011. The grant replaced a number of funding streams which ended in March 2011. The grant will total £2,222,555,697 in 2011-12 and £2,307,196,996 in 2012-13. Information on individual local authority's EIG allocations is available on the Department's website at:
	http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/e/early%20intervention%20grant%20s31%20determination% 202011-12.pdf

Free Schools

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department has taken to concentrate (a) new free schools in the poorest towns and cities and (b) the catchment areas of new free schools.

Nick Gibb: Half of the 24 free schools which opened in September this year are located in the 30% most deprived communities, based on the indices of multiple deprivation (IMD) measure. For the 2012 application round, the Department received 281 applications, many from local groups wanting to improve educational standards in their area. All free school applications are assessed against the criteria published on our website as well as against other free school applications. As the Department's website also says, wider contextual factors, such as the level of deprivation in the community, are taken into account when considering which projects should proceed to the next stage. A list of successful projects for the 2012 application round is available on the website.
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/freeschools/b00197715/free-schools-2012
	It is not for the Department to determine the admissions arrangements for individual free schools. Free schools are however, required to adopt arrangements that comply with the school admissions code.

Free Schools: Newham

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many applications his Department has (a) received and (b) rejected for the establishment of free schools in Newham; and what consultation (i) his Department and (ii) Partnerships for Schools has conducted on the (A) establishment, (B) composition and (C) location of free schools in Newham.

Nick Gibb: The Department has now completed the process of assessing the applications it has received to establish free schools in 2012. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education made an oral statement on 10 October 2011, Official Report, columns 62-64, about those that are approved to move to the next stage of development. We received seven applications to establish free schools in Newham and three of these applications have been approved to move to the next stage of development.
	The successful applicants are required to consult locally in accordance with section 10 of the Academies Act 2010. Neither the Department nor Partnerships for Schools have undertaken any consultations on free school applications in Newham.

GCSE: Males

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) working class, (b) ethnic minority background and (c) other boys perform to the same level as girls in their GCSEs.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 17 October  2011 
	The Government believe that the best way to raise boys' attainment is by raising the status and quality of teaching; investing in school leadership; setting clear expectations of what all children must know and be able to do at each stage of education and freeing up schools to develop their own strategies for tackling underperformance.
	There is no single strategy that has been shown to achieve the best possible results for boys, disadvantaged boys or boys from a minority ethnic background. Evidence does show however, that schools are independently important for narrowing attainment gaps. That is why we are providing head teachers with the freedom and the funding they need to develop local solutions to local needs.
	From April 2011, for example, the £201 million Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant has been mainstreamed into the wider Dedicated Schools Grant. This will give schools greater freedom over how the grant is spent and allow them to respond more flexibly to the needs of ethnic minority pupils.
	We have also introduced a pupil premium and increased this to £488 per pupil, providing additional funding for the most disadvantaged pupils of both genders at both primary and secondary level. Total funding for the pupil premium is £625 million in 2011-12 and this will rise to £2.5 billion a year by 2014-15.
	The data, from foundation stage onwards, do point to a persistent problem with boys' mastery of English and literacy. To narrow the GCSE attainment gap between boys and girls, we need intervene early to make sure that boys can read well. By ensuring high quality synthetic phonics teaching, we will improve literacy levels for all pupils, helping them to develop a love of reading and giving them a solid base on which to build their future education.

Schools: Playing Fields

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many school playing fields have been sold in England for development in each of the last 20 years; and what acreage of fields was sold in each year;
	(2)  what provisions govern the sale for development of school playing fields.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 12 October  2011 
	There have been 226 applications approved in the last 13 years that involve the sale of a school playing field. Of these 112 were in respect of closed schools where the playing field was not needed by any other local school. Prior to 1998 playing fields were not protected and this information, along with the acreage of fields sold each year, is not held centrally.
	School playing fields are protected by section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The aim of the legislation is to stop their indiscriminate sale. It sets out clear criteria for sales and establishes a system of checks. Schools and local authorities must obtain the Secretary of State for Education's approval before they can dispose of their land; and applications to dispose of school playing fields are approved only when it is demonstrated that the land is genuinely surplus to the needs of all local schools and community sports activities.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Departmental Re-location

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many civil servants in his Department have been (a) relocated and (b) agreed for relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the UK.

Edward Davey: In the last 12 months there have been no new cases of civil servants from the Department having been relocated (receiving a relocation payment) or agreed for relocation (relocation application approved but no payments made).

Departmental Postgraduate Education

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many civil servants in his Department at (a) director general and (b) director level have qualified as a master of business administration.

Edward Davey: In core BIS (ie excluding UKTI and agencies) there are currently two directors general and four directors who are qualified as masters of business administration. In addition one BIS director has a doctorate in business administration.

Senior Civil Servants

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many civil servants his Department employed in each of its three most senior grades (a) on the most recent date for which figures are available and (b) in each of the last five years.

Edward Davey: In June 2009 the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) was merged with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) to create the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Therefore we only have access to data from this date.
	The coalition Government are committed to publishing staffing data as part of the transparency agenda. Departments and other public sector organisations are required to publish a breakdown of their senior staff data. BIS information from these exercises is shown in the following table and is also available on the website:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/transparency/staff
	
		
			 Grade 30 June 2010 31 March 2011 
			 Permanent Secretary 1 1 
			 Chief Scientific Advisor 1 1 
			 SCS PB3—Grade 2 9 7 
		
	
	
		
			 SCS PB2—Grade 3 40 31 
			 Note: Data excludes agencies and UKTI.

Employment: Complaints

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to reduce the level of spurious claims by former employees against their employers.

Edward Davey: Earlier this year, my Department launched the resolving workplace disputes consultation, a significant step in the Employment Law review. This consultation sought views on various measures to deter weak claims and help improve business confidence in the employment tribunal system, such as increasing the maximum levels for cost awards and deposit orders. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has already announced our intention to increase the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims from one to two years. We will publish our Government response in the coming weeks setting out how we intend to proceed with the remaining proposals.

Financial Services: Isle of Man

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the financial sector in the Isle of Man on investment in the UK.

Vincent Cable: Ministers and officials from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills meet a wide range of organisations nationally and internationally on a variety of trade and investment issues as part of our continuing commitment to growth.

Government Departments: Data Protection

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what analysis he has undertaken of the (a) potential financial benefits of charging for access to Government data via a public data corporation and (b) potential economic benefits of adopting open data principles for such data.

Edward Davey: The Government are currently running two public consultations related to public data, on ‘Making Open Data Real: A Public Consultation' and ‘Data Policy for a Public Data Corporation', which close on 27 October 2011. As part of the Growth Review the Government are looking at the possible benefits of releasing more data as ‘open data' to stimulate growth. One of the aims of a Public Data Corporation is to provide a more consistent approach towards access to and accessibility of public sector information from certain organisations, balancing the desire for more data free at the point of use while ensuring affordability and value for taxpayers. Responses to the consultations will support internal analysis of these issue, which will enable Government to reflect on an appropriate policy framework for a Public Data Corporation.

Multinational Companies

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the introduction of country-by-country annual reporting by all multinational companies listed in the UK on profits made and taxes paid in each country where they operate; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The Government believe the most effective way of improving transparency on this issue is for the EU to develop a reporting system for the extractives sector that matches the standards in the Dodd Frank legislation in the US.

Office of Fair Trading: Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by the Office of Fair Trading using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10.

Edward Davey: An electronic file of the details of Government Procurement Card transactions undertaken by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for financial years 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 will be deposited in the Libraries of the House. Due to the way information was recorded during the periods in question, the dates shown are normally those on which the transaction was entered on to the accounting system rather than the actual purchase dates. The actual purchase dates and level 3 or enhanced transaction entries could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Government Procurement Cards are primarily used for the purchase of low-value items and to settle travel and subsistence costs incurred by staff travelling on OFT business. This not only guarantees on-time payment to suppliers, particularly beneficial to small and medium sized enterprises, but is also a cost-effective contributor to efficiency targets.

Postal Services: VAT

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the potential change in the level of revenues to the Exchequer that would arise if the Royal Mail's value added tax exemption were reduced to cover only the universal service obligation and did not apply to downstream access services.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government do not publish estimates of impacts on specific taxpayers as this would breach taxpayer confidentiality.

TRANSPORT

Biofuels

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if she will assess the potential effects of the removal of the biodiesel duty differential on the Government's green energy targets; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will assess the level of awareness amongst (a) the public, (b) small and medium-sized enterprises and (c) large corporations of the environmental benefits of biodiesel; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  whether her Department maintains a national register of companies who operate using biodiesel.

Norman Baker: In respect of his question on the biodiesel duty differential, I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Ogmore (Huw Irranca-Davies) on 5 July 2011, Official Report, column 1173W. We have recently consulted on proposals to amend the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) to implement the Renewable Energy Directive (RED). The RED contains a target for the UK to source 15% of its overall energy, and 10% of energy used in transport from renewable sources by 2020.
	The Government have no intention of extending beyond 31 March 2012 the temporary duty differential for biodiesel derived from used cooking oil. We have not made an assessment of how this might affect our longer-term 2020 renewable energy targets, as any impact is likely to be short-term. The consultation document referred to above explains how we have proposed to support biofuels which meet mandatory sustainability criteria via the RTFO.
	We have no plans to assess the level of awareness of the environmental benefits of biodiesel among the public and UK companies. Nor do we maintain a national register of companies who operate using biodiesel. We do, however, raise awareness of the environmental impacts of biofuels in numerous ways, including via our website and through regular ministerial speeches and statements.

Government Car and Despatch Agency

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she issues guidance to the Government Car and Despatch Agency on the (a) loan and (b) purchase of vehicles; and if she will place in the Library a copy of any such guidelines.

Michael Penning: All vehicles purchased by the Government Car and Despatch Agency are obtained through the Government Procurement Service approved framework. While specific guidance is not usually issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, she does retain responsibility for advising on the choice of cars for Ministers when necessary.

Harbour Authorities

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials of her Department have had with representatives of competent harbour authorities since May 2010.

Michael Penning: Ministers and officials meet with representatives of competent harbour authorities from time to time in the normal course of departmental business.

Harbour Authorities

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many (a) authorised pilots, (b) assistant pilots and (c) apprentice pilots were employed in each of the competent harbour authorities in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the average time of service was of authorised pilots in each of the competent harbour authorities in the latest period for which figures are available.

Michael Penning: The Department does not hold this information.

Harbour Authorities

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she has taken to ensure the maintenance of standards determined by a competent harbour authority under section 3(2) of the Pilotage Act 1987 on age, physical fitness, time of service, local knowledge, skill, character and otherwise.

Michael Penning: None, as this is the function of the harbour authority concerned. Competent harbour authorities are responsible for the provision of pilotage services to ships navigating within their operational area; they are also responsible for the authorisation of the marine pilots that operate there.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she has plans for future high speed rail stations at (a) Manchester airport and (b) other sites in the north-west.

Justine Greening: holding answer 6 September 2011
	HS2 Ltd is currently preparing detailed advice on route and station options for the north-west. This element of the company's remit also instructs it to provide advice on serving major airports in the regions that would be served by HS2.

Large Goods Vehicles

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations she has received from (a) cycling organisations, (b) road safety organisations and (c) individuals on potential changes to legislation governing the length of heavy goods vehicles.

Michael Penning: Details of the categories of respondents to the consultation on increasing the length of semi-trailers are in Section 1.3 of the Government's response, available on the Department for Transport website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2011-06
	Since the consultation closed the Department has received further representations relating to cycling and road safety.
	These representations were taken into account in my decision to launch a 10-year trial of 1800 longer semi-trailers, and to appoint an independent consultant to monitor that trial.

Ports

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether all borrowing by major trust ports classified as public corporations counts against annually- managed expenditure or departmental expenditure limits for the purposes of HM Treasury classification rules.

Michael Penning: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 1 February 2011, Official Report, columns 681-82W.

Railways: Nuneaton

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passenger (a) arrivals and (b) departures have been made at Nuneaton railway station in each of the last five years.

Norman Baker: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) produces estimates for the number of passengers using stations on the rail network in Great Britain each year based on ticket sales. The estimated number of entries, exits and interchanges at Nuneaton station in each of the last five years for which figures are available are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Estimated entries, exits and interchanges at Nuneaton railway station: 2005-06 to 2009-10 
			  Entries Exits Interchanges 
			 2005-06 316,184 321,604 238,480 
			 2006-07 341,417 348,688 273,211 
			 2007-08 349,979 356,993 197,157 
			 2008-09 407,485 407,485 291,096 
			 2009-10 447,479 447,479 210,343 
		
	
	Further information about these estimates can be found in the reports on the ORR website at the following link:
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she proposes that her response to her recent consultation on the implementation of the transport elements of the renewable energy directive will consider proposals for two separate obligation targets for biodiesel and ethanol under the renewable transport fuels obligation.

Norman Baker: holding answer 12 October 2011
	The Department received representations on a number of issues related to the renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) during consultations on the renewable energy directive (RED). These included suggestions that the RTFO should distinguish between bioethanol and biodiesel, arguing that if it did, this might provide a mechanism to drive equal demand for both products. The suggestion has been taken into account through the consultation exercise.
	The RTFO is a mechanism designed to reduce carbon emissions and promote the supply of sustainable biofuels. It does not seek to direct the market towards a particular biofuel product or method of production.
	We expect to publish a Government response soon setting out both our plans and the timeline for implementation.

Roads: Dartford

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she has discussed with the Mayor of London the construction of a road transport crossing between Blackwall and Dartford.

Michael Penning: While the Secretary of State for Transport and the Mayor have regular discussions about a range of subjects, I understand that to date the construction of a new road crossing between Blackwall and Dartford has not been raised specifically in these conversations.

Roads: Large Goods Vehicles

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many roadside heavy vehicle tests were administered in each of the last three years.

Michael Penning: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) conducted the following number of roadside checks in the last three years:
	
		
			  Roadside checks 
			 2010-11(1) 276,124 
			 2009-10 313,625 
			 2008-09 225,410 
			 (1) Figures are taken from VOSAs draft 2010-11 Effectiveness report which will be published shortly. Older versions are available from: http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/publications/corporatereports/corporatereports.htm Note: VOSA holds data on the number of tests rather than the number of vehicles, vehicles can be tested for more than one item at the roadside.

Shipping: Atlantic Ocean

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information her Department holds on the number of daily shipping movements through the Western Approaches.

Michael Penning: h olding answer 15 September 2011
	A snapshot 24-hour period (9 September 2011) indicated that 188 east and west bound vessels transited through the Western Approaches to the English Channel. While the precise number of vessels transiting will vary day by day, this figure is assessed as an accurate daily average.

Tugboats

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what replacement arrangements her Department plans to make following the potential withdrawal of emergency towing vehicles at the end of September.

Michael Penning: holding answer 15 September 2011
	The Government believe that ship salvage and towage is properly a commercial matter between a ship's operator and the established commercial tug industry. The commercial tug and salvage industry will be used by operators in future to assist ships that get into difficulty.
	Following the withdrawal of publicly funded emergency towing vessels (ETVs), the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has arrangements in hand for shipping to be alerted in the areas affected. The relevant coastguard co-ordination centres will actively monitor shipping using the automatic identification system and will be proactive in contacting ships that are observed to be stopped at sea or behaving erratically. Coastguards will monitor tug availability in the waters around the UK and will encourage ship masters, owners and their insurers to take early action to summon tug assistance should ships get into difficulty or become disabled. Coastguards will also advise the principal salvage and towage brokers about the existence of disabled vessels so that they can match market capabilities with demand.
	Additionally, Her Majesty's Coastguard has longstanding arrangements with ports, harbours and tug brokers for the supply of tugs in an emergency situation, and the Coastguard Agreement for Salvage and Towing (CAST) provides a further option for the provision of emergency towing.

Tugboats

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department plans to end the use of emergency towing vehicles to provide emergency cover for any ships and boats needing assistance.

Michael Penning: holding answer 15 September 2011
	The Government have decided that the continued provision of emergency towing vessel (ETV) cover around the coast of the UK at taxpayers' expense can no longer be justified. Accordingly, the current ETV contract was not renewed when it expired on the 30 September 2011.

Tugboats

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department has estimated the number of private emergency towing vehicles that would be available should a submarine or surface ship require assistance.

Michael Penning: holding answer 15 September 2011
	On any day there will be around 400 vessels with a bollard pull of between 30 and 300 tons operating in UK waters and the North sea. Around 90% of these will typically engaged for service against short-term or long-term commercial contracts.
	Around 10% of the vessels can be expected to be capable of being available to be tasked to respond to requests for salvage or emergency towage, with a majority of these being based along the east coast of the UK or in the North sea. There will also be tugs available to respond to vessels in the English channel and Western Approaches to the Irish sea although they may vary in number because their positioning closely reflects the likely opportunity for salvage and wider towage market conditions.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Public Sector Jobs

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the reduction in public sector jobs in Northern Ireland.

Owen Paterson: I last discussed economic matters with the First Minister and Acting Deputy First Minister yesterday. We all agree that Northern Ireland is overly dependent on public spending. The Government are committed to rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy by creating the conditions that will encourage the private sector to provide jobs for the future.

Corporation Tax

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the devolution of powers in relation to corporation tax.

Owen Paterson: I discussed corporation tax, among other matters, with the First and Acting Deputy First Ministers yesterday. They will nominate Ministers to a Working Group chaired by my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury which will clarify the key outstanding issues that need to be resolved in advance of decisions on whether to proceed. We expect the group to meet first in early November.

Construction Industry

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effects of reductions in public sector expenditure on the construction industry in Northern Ireland.

Hugo Swire: We all recognise the importance of the construction industry to Northern Ireland and that is why the Executive has transferred £256 million to capital investment to promote infrastructure investment which will directly help the sector.

Bill of Rights

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he has made on introducing a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.

Hugo Swire: The Government remains committed to resolving this issue but in a way that secures consensus. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland recently wrote to party leaders raising as a possibility work being taken forward by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Advertising

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has spent on advertising job vacancies since May 2010.

Owen Paterson: Since May 2010, my Department has advertised all vacancies on the civil service jobs website; no money was spent on external advertising.

Departmental Buildings

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects his Department plans in (i) the current and (ii) the next financial year; and what the cost will be of each such project.

Owen Paterson: The answer is as follows:
	(a) My Department has undertaken one building project in this financial year in order to modify space in the department's London office. The estimated cost is £13,466 plus VAT. At this stage, there are no plans to undertake any building projects in the next financial year.
	(b) The total amount spent on refurbishment for this financial year to date is £28,052. This expenditure relates to the maintenance of Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland for which the department is responsible. There are no current plans to undertake any refurbishment projects in the next financial year.

Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in each of the last 12 months.

Owen Paterson: Spending on hospitality for the last 12 months is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 £ 
			  Secretary of State Minister of State 
			 September 2010 749 — 
			 October 2010 188 965 
			 November 2010 588 1,210 
			 December 2010 889 112 
			 January 2011 334 744 
			 February 2011 651 — 
			 March 2011(1) 1,854 79 
			 April 2011 193 — 
			 May 2011 1,219 339 
			 June 2011(1) 1,764 413 
			 July 2011 877 55 
			 August 2011 506 349 
			 September 2011 1,308 845 
			 (1) Figures for March 2011 and June 2011 included functions hosted by the Secretary of State for the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee and to promote the big society.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many contracts his Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; what proportion were awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b) small businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: Since May 2010, my Department has not advertised any contracts on the Contracts Finder website.

Security

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps his Department is taking to improve cyber security in relation to his Department's estate; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: Government takes cyber security very seriously and it has been categorised as a tier one threat to UK national security. £650 million is being invested over the next four years in a National Cyber Security Programme, working across Departments, with the private sector, international partners and citizens to improve the UK's cyber security capability.
	The Northern Ireland Office routinely assesses the prevailing threats to its ICT systems and applies appropriate and proportionate measures in accordance with the Government standards set out in the Cabinet Office's Security Policy Framework (SPF); these standards are aligned with industry best practice approaches.
	It is not in the interest of national security to make public details of particular improvements in relation to individual Departments as it may expose vulnerabilities to those who may seek to exploit them.

E-mail

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in his Department use private e-mail accounts for the conduct of Government business.

Owen Paterson: The Ministerial Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, and the Civil Service Code set out how Ministers, officials and special advisers should conduct Government business.

Northern Ireland Parades Commission

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  when he last met the Northern Ireland Parades Commission;
	(2)  what (a) written correspondence and (b) other representations his Department has received from the Northern Ireland Parades Commission on reviewing the powers, responsibilities and work of the Commission in each of the last three years.

Owen Paterson: I last met with the Northern Ireland Parades Commission on 17 October. The Parades Commission wrote to me in June to inform me they were conducting a review of the processes and framework of the Commission's work under the current legislation. This is the only correspondence of this nature I have received from the Parades Commission during my tenure as Secretary of State.

Northern Ireland: Politics and Government

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: The recent elections in Northern Ireland demonstrated that there is strong support amongst the people there for the institutions, and the politics is stable. These are advances of tremendous importance. But stability alone is not enough. It is now time to move beyond the politics of the peace process and to work towards building a more prosperous Northern Ireland in which everyone has a genuinely shared future.

DEFENCE

Adam Werritty

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has issued a security pass to Mr Adam Werritty.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 18 October 2011
	Mr Werritty has not been issued with a Ministry of Defence Main Building security pass. On the occasions of his visits to the building he was signed in on a visitor's pass in accordance with extant procedures.

Afghanistan

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visits he has made to Afghanistan in the last 12 months.

Philip Hammond: I have not visited Afghanistan but look forward to doing so.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the conditions faced by service personnel on active service in Afghanistan.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 12 October 2011
	We regularly assess conditions for our service personnel in Afghanistan to ensure that we continue to do all that we can to assist them in what remains a dangerous, demanding and often austere operating environment.
	To mitigate these harsh conditions we have in place a robust support and allowance package that is kept under regular review. This package includes a range of services such as shops, operational fitness equipment, and entertainment facilities. It also provides telephone and internet facilities and pastoral care by deployed chaplains. The services that individuals will be readily able to access will, however, understandably vary depending on their location.
	Communication facilities, in particular, have been significantly improved in the last year. Iridium satellite phones, text link, e-mail and wi-fi internet access are now being provided at even some of the most austere locations. Moreover, in addition to the digital television that is provided in the main operating bases, British Forces Broadcasting Service has introduced an internet television facility to allow individuals a much broader range of options for what they can watch and when.

Air Force: Military Bases

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2011, Official Report, column 76W, on Air Force: military bases, on what dates he discussed the RAF basing review with the Scottish Government; and if he will place in the Library the (a) agenda and (b) minutes of each discussion.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 17 October 2011
	The First Minister of Scotland (Alex Salmond MSP), and the previous Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), held two face to face meetings, on 11 January and 26 May 2011. These meetings took place when they were both in London and Glasgow respectively, and were not minuted.
	As part of their regular liaison they also had a number of telephone conversations during the period in which the review of basing took place. They will have discussed a range of issues, including basing.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many persons were selected for each of the armed forces from each nation and region of the UK in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: The requested information is not held centrally. However, details of the number of entrants from recruitment centres around the UK have been placed in the Library of the House. This will give an indication of the geographical spread of recruitment but does not provide a comprehensive picture of where these individuals may reside as they may not always apply to join the services through their nearest career office or may choose other means by which to apply.
	Royal Navy and Royal Marine officers are primarily recruited via regional officer careers liaison centres, each of which covers a large area of the UK. Army officers are recruited through regional army careers advisers (ACA) based at an armed forces careers office in the area.

Consultancy Firms: Security

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what security restrictions have been placed on employees of consultancy firms based outside the UK engaged by his Department who are (a) non-UK citizens and (b) UK citizens.

Peter Luff: Appropriate security controls are applied to all Ministry of Defence contractors, including consultancy firms, engaged on classified Defence contracts. These are based on the level of protectively marked material to which a contractor requires access and forms part of the contractual arrangement with the Department. Where individual access to UK classified information is required, appropriate security vetting checks are conducted in respect of both UK and non-UK nationals residing outside the UK.

Departmental Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average cost to his Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of invoices settled in that period his Department paid (a) electronically and (b) by cheque.

Andrew Robathan: Information regarding the average cost to pay an invoice and the number of individual invoices paid electronically or by cheque is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Information is available for the proportion of total payments made by value between electronic and cheque. For the first six months of financial year 2011-12 this was 99.3% and 0.7% respectively.

Departmental Buildings

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects his Department plans in (i) 2011-12 and (ii) 2012-13; and what the cost of each such project will be.

Andrew Robathan: A table showing the current Ministry of Defence programme of approved building and refurbishment projects and the total cost of these projects has been placed in the Library of the House. Data relating to spend in individual financial years and information relating to some office refurbishments are not held centrally or consistently and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In 2011-12 some 700 upgrades are being carried out on service family accommodation at a cost of some £44 million. In financial year 2012-13 some 800 upgrades are planned at a cost of some £46 million.
	In addition as part of a £1.4 billion investment programme, since 2003 some 40,000 new or improved single living accommodation bed spaces have been delivered. A further 20,000 are planned by 2013, subject to future funding decisions. The programme is being delivered through various initiatives across the Department. Again exact expenditure by year could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Legal Opinion: Costs

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average hourly rate paid was to external (a) solicitors and (b) barristers engaged by his Department in 2010-11; what guidance his Department uses in commissioning external legal advice; and if he will publish (i) the names of each external (A) solicitor and (B) barrister engaged by his Department in 2010-11 and (ii) the sums paid in each case.

Andrew Robathan: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, in commissioning external legal services in England and Wales, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) follows the guidance provided by the Attorney-General's Office. Where possible, we choose counsel from a set of panels filled by competition by the Attorney-General's Office. These four panels reflect levels of experience and location. Those counsel who undertake to join the panels are paid fees according to set hourly rates appropriate to their panel. The rates are set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Panel Hourly rate (£) 
			 A Panel 120 
			   
			 B Panel 100 
			   
			 C Panel  
		
	
	
		
			 Under five years' call 60 
			 Over five years' call 80 
			   
			 Regional Panel  
			 Under five years' experience 60 
			 5-10 years' experience 90 
			 Over 10 years' experience 110 
		
	
	Details of those counsel who are currently on the panels are available from the website of the Treasury Solicitor's Department:
	www.tsol.gov.uk/attorney_generals_panel_of_counsel.htm
	The MOD is required to seek the Attorney-General’s nomination in any case in which we wish to choose counsel who are not on the panel, for example, to use leading counsel. The panel system is also supplemented by the retention of two senior counsel known as ‘First Treasury Counsel’ to advise on, and represent the Department in, particularly complex and sensitive matters. Hourly rates of £220 have been agreed with the two current First Treasury Counsel, James Eadie QC and Jonathan Swift QC.
	Similar arrangements exist in Scotland overseen by the Office of the Advocate-General. As with the Attorney-General in England and Wales, the Advocate-General maintains a panel of standing junior counsel in Scotland. The Advocate-General likewise approves nomination for the instruction of senior counsel.
	When assistance from external firms of solicitors is required in England and Wales, the MOD also choose from panels of competitively selected firms, with which Government have negotiated fee rates. The MOD also instructs a panel of external law firms to provide commercial legal services in support of private finance initiatives and major Defence projects. Since January 2010, this panel consists of the following private firms: Denton Wilde Sapte, Shepherd and Wedderburn, Mills and Reeve, Pinsent Masons, Wragge and Co., Simmons and Simmons and Field Fisher Waterhouse. The MOD has in place framework agreements with each of these firms with rates which were agreed during the competitive selection process. Expenditure on the panel for 2010-11 is currently being collated.
	In Scotland, the MOD acquires legal services for a period of four years by means of a competitive tendering exercise that is open to all law firms able to provide advice on Scots Law. From 1 September 2011, Morton Fraser LLP retained this contract following the competitive tender being found to provide best value to the MOD. I am withholding details of current rates charged, as their disclosure would prejudice commercial interests. I am however able to disclose that the fees paid in the last year of the former contract were £799,454, a lower figure than that incurred in each of the preceding two years.
	Finally, in keeping with the Government's Transparency Agenda, since 2010 the MOD has subject to the accepted Freedom of Information and Data Protection exemptions, published details of payments of over £25,000 on a monthly basis at the following internet address:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/FinancialReports/ModSpend/ModSpendOver25000DataFiles.htm

Departmental Manpower

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff his Department employed in each year since 1997.

Andrew Robathan: The following table shows the breakdown of full-time and part-time employees in the Ministry of Defence and the numbers of locally engaged civilians and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel from 1997 to 2011, as at 1 April each year.
	
		
			 As at April  each year Full-time Part-time Total locally engaged civilians Royal Fleet Auxiliary Total headcount 
			 1997 112,000 5,380 117,380 15,860 2,210 135,450 
			 1998 105,620 5,190 110,800 15,160 2,360 128,320 
			 1999 102,490 5,400 107,890 14,890 2,360 125,140 
			 2000 100,580 5,620 106,200 14,870 2,420 123,490 
			 2001 98,820 5,900 104,720 13,340 2,360 120,430 
			 2002 89,780 6,100 95,870 14,120 2,370 112,360 
			 2003 87,250 6,300 93,550 13,840 2,450 109,850 
			 2004 87,640 5,700 93,330 15,430 2,310 111,080 
			 2005 86,720 5,750 92,470 15,660 2,350 110,480 
			 2006 82,230 6,430 88,660 16,290 2,340 107,300 
			 2007 76,140 7,790 83,930 15,280 2,360 101,570 
			 2008 70,840 7,470 78,320 13,080 2,270 93,670 
			 2009 68,710 7,350 76,060 12,270 2,300 90,630 
			 2010 68,180 7,480 75,660 11,980 2,330 89,970 
			 2011 65,070 7,360 72,430 12,270 2,360 87,060 
			 Notes: 1. All numbers rounded to the nearest 10, numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. 2. Full-time and part-time data split are not available for locally engaged civilians and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel, but they are deemed to be full-time for reporting purposes. 3. Headcount data have been used to ensure there is no statistical bias in presentation of full-time and part-time split in relation to full time equivalent value of part-time personnel. 4. April 2011 locally engaged civilian figures are ‘estimates’ due to non- availability of data.

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade profession magazines in 2010-11.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has a contract with a supplier to provide newspapers and copy rate magazines at a discounted rate to units within the London area. Expenditure under this contract in 2010-11 was recorded as £58,810.36.
	MOD units outside London may purchase newspapers under local arrangements. Information on expenditure under these local arrangements is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	A contract is also in place with a supplier to provide periodicals, journals and magazines on subscription. Expenditure under this contract in 2010-11 was recorded as £671,755.93.
	Information on expenditure outside of this contract is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to announce the results of his Department's review of continuity of education allowance.

Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 13 October 2011, Official Report, columns 36-38WS.

Falkland Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to visit the Falkland Islands to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Falklands conflict.

Philip Hammond: I expect to take part in celebrations to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Falkland Islands conflict in London in 2012, but have no current plans to visit the islands.

Guided Weapons

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Exactor missiles have been used in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq in the last three years.

Nick Harvey: The UK has deployed a range of systems in Iraq and Afghanistan to support coalition forces and to protect civilians. However, it would not be appropriate to make specific comment on individual capabilities as such disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) sorties and (b) hours have been flown by UK (i) Typhoon, (ii) Tornado GR4, (iii) E-3D, (iv) VC10, (v) BAe 146, (vi) HS125, (vii) C-130 Hercules, (viii) Chinook HC2, (ix) C-17, (x) Tristar, (xi) Apache AH1, (xii) Sea King ASAC.7, (xiii) Lynx HMA.8, (xiv) Merlin HMA.1 and (xv) Sea King HC.4 aircraft during Operation Ellamy to date.

Nick Harvey: From the beginning of current operations in Libya up to 6 October 2011, UK aircraft have flown a total of around 2,900 combat and combat support sorties lasting a total of around 17,350 hours. Of these totals, the UK has flown around 2,000 strike sorties, including Fast Jet and Attack Helicopter, lasting a total of around 10,580 hours.
	Combat operations include: Tornado GR4; Typhoon FGR4; and Apache AH 1.
	Combat support operations include: Sentinel R1; Nimrod R1; Sentry AEW 1; VC10K3; VC10C1K; Tristar K; Maritime Helicopters (Lynx and Sea King ASAC.7); C130; and C-17.
	The hours included for C130 and C-17 are for flights that landed in Libya only. Further flights in support of Operation Ellamy have been flown to and from Italy and Cyprus. However, the information on the hours and sortie numbers of these flights is not held in the format requested.
	I am withholding information regarding sorties or hours flown for individual aircraft type as their disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Libya: Politics and Government

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military aid, training or equipment has been offered to the Transitional National Council of Libya; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 13 October 2011
	The UK has not provided any military training to the National Transitional Council (NTC) of Libya. However, a military mentoring team in Libya has enabled the NTC to better protect civilians and civilian areas by providing the NTC with mentoring on information handling, internal organisation and processes, logistics, communications and planning.
	The UK has also provided £1.5 million to fund civilian experts assisting in a weapons disposal programme. As part of this commitment, we have provided a small team of UK military specialists to work alongside the Libyans and United States in preventing the proliferation of surface-to-air missiles.
	To support the NTCs security efforts, the UK has provided communications equipment, body armour and police uniforms for use by police in Benghazi.
	As the previous Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), announced during his visit to Tripoli, the UK has gifted items including binoculars, GPS systems, and lifejackets with a value of approximately £65,000 to help the Libyans recommence naval security operations. All equipment provided is fully in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973 including the arms embargo.
	On 15 September 2011, the Prime Minister announced an additional £600,000 funding for the Mines Advisory Group to protect civilians from unexploded devices in Libya. This brings the UK's contribution to the clearance of explosive remnants of war in Libya to £780,000.

Military Bases

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the proportion of service families in Edinburgh who have chosen not to live in service family accommodation.

Andrew Robathan: No estimate has been made of the proportion of service families in Edinburgh who have chosen not to live in service families accommodation (SFA). All eligible personnel who apply for SFA are offered accommodation within a reasonable distance of their duty station. Where personnel do not apply, personal preference will only be one of the relevant factors. Others may include eligibility or family commitments.

Nimrod Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what compensation has been paid to companies for the early cancellation of the (a) Nimrod MRA4 design, development and production contract, (b) Nimrod MRA4 simulator and training systems, (c) Nimrod MRA4 support solution, (d) Nimrod MR2 simulator service, (e) Harrier HPAC support contract, (f) Harrier engine support contract and (h) Harrier TIEC communications upgrade.

Peter Luff: Negotiations with BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce on contracts relating to the Nimrod MRA4 and Harrier programmes were concluded in the summer of 2011. However, I am withholding further details as their disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

RAF Leuchars

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has undertaken a sustainability assessment in relation to the transformation of RAF Leuchars into an Army base.

Nick Harvey: A high-level sustainability appraisal was undertaken in April 2011, which considered what the effects would be of changing RAF Leuchars to Army use, as well as of closing the site.
	More detailed sustainability and other environmental studies will be carried out, as part of the ongoing re-basing process.

Territorial Army

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of (a) full-time and (b) regular army reserve officers in each category died in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq in each of the last five years.

Philip Hammond: Since 1 April 2007, 26 UK full-time Army officers, which covers regular officers, Gurkha officers, and full-time reserve service officers, have died as a result of operations in Afghanistan or Iraq. Of these, 23 were as a result of operations in Afghanistan and three were as a result of operations in Iraq.
	There have been no deaths of either regular Army reserve officers or Territorial Army officers deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq during the same period.
	The following tables provide a breakdown of the number of full-time regular Army officer deaths by operation and financial year, and shows this as the proportion of those deployed and as a proportion of those on strength.
	
		
			 Table 1: Full-time regular Army officer deaths as a result of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, 1 April 2007 to 9 October 2011 by financial year, numbers, and percentage 
			  All 2007-08 2008-09 
			 Category N umber N umber Deployed (%) Strength (%) N umber Deployed (%) Strength (%) 
			 Afghanistan(2) 23 4 0.15 0.03 2 0.07 0.01 
			 Iraq(2) 3 3 0.14 0.02 0 — — 
		
	
	
		
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 (1) 
			 Category N umber Deployed (%) Strength (%) N umber Deployed (%) Strength (%) N umber 
			 Afghanistan(2) 10 0.28 0.07 5 0.12 0.03 2 
			 Iraq(2) 0 — — 0 — — 0 
			 (1) 201-12 Deployment data and strength data is not yet available. (2) Includes those who were killed in action or died of wounds as well as deaths due to accidents, natural causes, assaults, and coroner confirmed suicide or open verdicts.

Unmanned Air Vehicle

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what potential savings in the costs of (a) training for and (b) operating the MQ-9B Reaper unmanned air vehicle and similar systems were identified by the Daedalus trial programme;
	(2)  for what reasons he has not implemented as standard practice the training model used in the Daedalus trial programme for piloting of unmanned air vehicles.

Peter Luff: There is currently no requirement to train non-pilot officers to operate unmanned air systems as the RAF has a sufficient number of trained pilots available to meet planned requirements.
	There were no savings identified by the Daedalus trial.

Virtual Build

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on potential savings in the cost of equipment development through the use of virtual build.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is keen to encourage the use of efficient modern processes in the cost-effective development and manufacturing of military equipment among its suppliers and their supply chains. Exposure to the global market and competition ensures that industry remains well placed to take advantage of all such techniques, and the MOD undertakes direct research into industrial techniques when this is necessary to remain an intelligent customer.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Pay

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in his Department.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not pay a separate London weighting or London living allowance. It does have in place two sets of salary scales for staff in grades below the senior civil service:
	(1) National pay scale for staff based at its East Kilbride office;
	(2) London pay scale for staff based at its central London office.
	I have deposited in the Library a document where the appropriate pay scales can be found within.

Training

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many external training courses staff of his Department attended in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of each course.

Stephen O'Brien: DFID operates a decentralised Learning and Development system and does not hold central records of small scale spend. DFID does however publish all expenditure over £500, which can be found on our website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/DFID-spend/
	Producing any other type of report would incur disproportionate costs.

Environment: Poverty

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what timetable he has set for the development of his Department's strategic document setting out the inter-relationship between environmental management, climate change and poverty alleviation.

Stephen O'Brien: DFID will develop its strategic document setting out the inter-relationship between environment, climate change and poverty alleviation over the next six months and finalise it in May 2012. The document will be made publically available.

SCOTLAND

Advertising

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on advertising job vacancies since May 2010.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has incurred no expenditure on advertising job vacancies within the Department since May 2010.

Departmental Correspondence

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has received representations concerning (a) the big society bank, (b) the Work programme and (c) volunteering since June 2011; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: Since June 2011, the Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), and I have received various representations from individuals and organisations about the big society bank, the Work programme and volunteering. In addition to responding to such representations, we are providing proactive opportunities for stakeholders across Scotland to discuss these matters with us through a series of seminars on unemployment and roundtable meetings on the big society.

Departmental Re-location

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many civil servants in his Department have been (a) relocated and (b) agreed to relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the UK.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has not relocated or agreed to the relocation of any civil servants, in the last 12 months.
	As staff are mainly on secondment from other Government bodies, any formal civil service relocation matters would be for the principal employers of our staff to consider.

Departmental Pay

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in his Department.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has a number of staff based in London, all of whom are on secondment from other Government bodies. The majority are employees of the Ministry of Justice who have London rates of base pay and as such do not receive separately identifiable London weightings and London living allowances.
	The remaining staff based in London are seconded from the Scottish Government and receive a London Pay Supplement, in addition to their normal salaries. From 1 April to 30 September 2011, a total of £1,310 was paid in London Pay Supplements.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to third sector organisations in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: Other than minor or bespoke purchases, the Scotland Office does not undertake direct procurement or tendering projects. It utilises existing service contracts between suppliers and the Scottish Government or the Ministry of Justice. Since May 2010 no direct contracts have been awarded to third sector organisations by the Scotland Office.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to (a) small, (b) medium-sized and (c) large businesses in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: Other than minor or bespoke purchases, the Scotland Office does not undertake direct procurement or tendering projects. It utilises existing service contracts between suppliers and the Scottish Government or the Ministry of Justice. Since May 2010 only one contract has been issued directly by the Scotland Office. This was issued to the Royal Mail for its role in providing candidates’ free mailing in the Scottish parliamentary elections, the value of which was just over £6.4 million.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many contracts his Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; what proportion were awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b) small businesses; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: Other than minor or bespoke purchases, the Scotland Office does not undertake direct procurement or tendering projects. It utilises existing service contracts between suppliers and the Scottish Government or the Ministry of Justice. Since May 2010 only one contract has been issued directly by the Scotland Office, and this was issued to the Royal Mail during the Scottish parliamentary elections. The requirements of that contract, which were subject to article 61 of the Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2010, meant that it was not appropriate to advertise on the Contracts Finder website.

Cyber-Security

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department is taking to improve cyber-security in relation to his Department's estate; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office uses an information technology system (SCOTS) operated by the Scottish Government, which are responsible for the procurement, administration, support, maintenance and security of the system. Under this arrangement, the Scotland Office is compliant with the security policies contained in the Government Security Policy Framework including those for information security and assurance.

Departmental Travel

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on first class travel by (a) air, (b) boat and (c) train since May 2010.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not separately record information and expenditure on first class travel. It is Scotland Office policy not to use first class travel for officials. All ministerial travel is undertaken by the most efficient and cost effective way, in accordance with the Ministerial Code, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Broadband: Cleveland

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to provide funding to improve broadband internet connections in rural East Cleveland.

Edward Vaizey: The allocation of funding for East Cleveland was included within the £770,000 Tees Valley funding allocation announced in August.

Broadcasting

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport with reference to paragraph 3(2) of Cm 8170 on broadcasting, what enabling measures would be needed to implement the matters set out in the framework agreement between his Department and the BBC; and whether any enabling measures other than the Public Bodies Bill will be needed to implement section 6 of the Framework Agreement.

Edward Vaizey: The definitive list of enabling measures necessary to implement the matters set out in the amended agreement cannot be determined at this stage.
	I envisage that the enabling measures necessary for the reform of S4C include the Public Bodies Bill; an order under the Public Bodies Act, once passed; and that agreement to the governance and operational arrangements will be secured following the current discussions between S4C, the BBC and the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), on the partnership model.

Departmental Re-location

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many civil servants in his Department have been (a) relocated and (b) agreed for relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the United Kingdom.

John Penrose: No civil servants in the Department have been relocated, and none have agreed to be relocated in the last 12 months.

Departmental Pay

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in his Department.

John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not pay London weighting and London living allowance in addition to basic salaries. London weighting was consolidated into basic pay on 1 August 2004.

Procurement

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what contracts of a monetary value of (a) between £100,000 and £500,000, (b) between £500,000 and £1 million, (c) between £1 million and £5 million, (d) between £5 million and £10 million, (e) between £10 million and £50 million, (f) between £50 million and £100 million, (g) between £100 million and £500 million, (h) between £500 million and £1 billion, (i) between £1 billion and £5 billion and (j) over £5 billion his Department and its predecessors have entered into with private suppliers in each year since 1990.

John Penrose: This information is not collated in the manner requested. Providing it would exceed the disproportionate cost limit.
	However, we do hold information about contracts entered into by the Department with private suppliers between 2007 and 2011, which is set out in the following table. The values listed cover the entirety of the contracts, which vary in length between three and five years.
	
		
			  Contract title Supplier(s) Value 
			 2007 IT Specialist Solutions Atos Origin (1)£25 million 
			 2007 Temporary Clerical and Administration Staff Brook Street/Hays £1.5 million 
			 2007 Travel Management Services (Rail) Hogg Robinson £520,000 
			 2007 Travel Management Services (Air/Ferry) Capita Business Travel £1.2 million 
			 2007 Support for Delivery of DCMS Transformation Programme Deloitte £104,000 
			 2008 Taking Part Survey BMRB £4.1 million 
			 2008 Promoting of international Arts in the UK Visiting Arts £300,000 
			 2008 Recruitment of 5 GOE Interim Managers Russam CMS £3.3 million 
			 2008. Children's Play Policy and Research Programme Play England £324,000 
			 2008 Consultancy Support for DCMS Change Programme PA Consulting £127,000 
			 2008 Playworker Training and Educational Programme SkillsActive £1.1 million 
			 2009 Ceremonial and Works Management EC Harris £713,227 
			 2009 Recruitment of HR Specialists Morgan Law £500,000 
			 2009 Legal Services—Independently Funded News Consortium DLA Piper £200,000 
			 2009 Managed Financial and Accounting Services Liberata £1.6 million 
			 2010 Cultural Contact Point (jointly funded with the European Commission) Visiting Arts £300,000 
			 2010 Facilities Management Services Carillion £5.1 million 
			 2010 Mailroom and Associated Services Ecovert £828,833 
			 2011 Taking Part Survey TNS-BMRB £5.3 million 
			 (1) This amount is an estimate, as the contract has a fixed and variable pricing structure.

Departmental Travel

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on first class travel by (a) air, (b) boat and (c) train since May 2010.

John Penrose: This Department spent £2,020 on first class train travel between May 2010 and September 2011. There was no expenditure on first class travel by air or boat in that period.
	All travel by Ministers and staff is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

E-mail

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether any (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in his Department use private e-mail accounts for the conduct of government business.

John Penrose: The Ministerial Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, and the Civil Service Code set out how Ministers, officials and special advisers should conduct government business.

Olympic Games 2012: Facilities

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment has he made of the likely effects of the decision to retain the Olympic Stadium in public ownership on the prospects for success of London's bid to host the 2017 World Athletics Championships.

Hugh Robertson: The Government have guaranteed to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) that the Olympic Stadium will retain its running track for the 2017 World Athletics Championships. The decision to keep the stadium in public ownership reinforces the Government's commitment to a legacy of top-level athletics in the stadium from 2014, further strengthening our bid.

Olympic Games 2012: Scotland

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the benefits to Scotland of the London 2012 Olympic Games; and if he will make a statement. [Official Report, 2 November 2011, Vol. 534, c. 1-4MC.]

Hugh Robertson: holding answer 17 October 2011
	The Government and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) established the nations and regions group (NRG) to ensure UK-wide engagement and to maximise the legacy from London 2012. This group works directly with representatives from each of the nations and English regions to realise the sporting, economic, and cultural benefits of the 2012 games.
	As part of the funding of the London 2012 activity in the nations and regions the Department is contributing towards the costs of the Scottish Government employing the Inspire programmer in Scotland from 2010-11 to 2012-13.
	Scotland stands to gain from the wide range of opportunities created by the 2012 games, through businesses winning games-related work, increased tourism and cultural celebrations. Some examples of how Scotland will benefit from the games are given as follows.
	Over 19,800 schools and colleges across the UK have registered for LOCOG's London 2012 education programme, Get Set, including 1,251 in Scotland. That represents 44.7% of the total number of schools and colleges in the nation. 95 schools in the Fife area have registered for Get Set including Glenrothes High School.
	Over 1,700 cultural or sporting projects across the UK have been awarded the Inspire mark. In Scotland 36 projects have been awarded Inspire marks. In June 2011, the Festival of Sport was launched in Scotland, Fife council participated in this Inspire marked project. The aim of the festival was using the inspiration of the games to profile physical activity and increase the membership of sports clubs.
	The Legacy Trust have awarded £4.7 million for ‘The Scottish Project', a diverse range of cultural, sporting and educational activities, bringing together thousands of volunteers, artists and the public to leave a lasting legacy from London 2012 and Glasgow 2014.
	In addition, 25 contracts have been awarded by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to businesses in the nation. These include KN Environmental Services Ltd from Perth who provided materials for the Aquatics Centre, Millstream Associates Ltd from Aberdeen who provided procurement services and Mason Land Surveys Ltd from Dunfermline who provided engineering services. The hon. Member can find a list of contractors on the ODA suppliers map at the link as follows:
	http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/business-network/oda-suppliers/map.php
	So far 4,072 companies in the nation have registered on Competefor (the website where London 2012 contract opportunities are advertised), and 48 contracts have been awarded to Competefor suppliers. Not all the information on ‘supply chain' level contracts is in the public domain. There may be other companies that have secured ‘supply chain’ contracts in the nation.
	Locations across the UK, particularly those that are hosting international teams in pre-games training camps (PGTCs), have additional opportunities to realise the economic benefits of the games. Two agreements have been signed with teams to hold PGTCs in Scotland, with the National Olympic Committees of Zambia and Namibia. In addition, Hampden Park will host rounds of the football competition.
	The Department is currently working with Glasgow 2014 Ltd on the post-games relocation of shooting range assets to Scotland. Furthermore, there is the potential for relocation of other facilities as part of the LOCOG post-games games equipment and assets transfers.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Council Tax Benefits

Nick Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid to each local authority to meet the cost of council tax benefit in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: The available information on payments in respect of council tax benefit paid to claimants has been placed in the Library. Information on payments in respect of local authority costs of administration is not separately available for council tax benefit.

Departmental Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost to his Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of invoices settled in that period his Department paid (a) electronically and (b) by cheque.

Chris Grayling: The full cost, for the year ended 30 September 2011, of processing the payment of an invoice electronically is £0.45, and manually £3.32.
	98.46% of invoices were settled electronically and 1.54% were paid by cheque.

Estate Maintenance

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the monetary value of the maintenance backlog on his Department's estate in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the time required to complete such maintenance.

Chris Grayling: In 1998, the Department let a 20-year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract with Telereal Trillium for the provision of fully fitted and serviced accommodation, for which the Department pays an all-inclusive unitary charge. This unitary charge includes a risk price element for all aspects of building maintenance, repair, routine decoration and refurbishment, known as Life Cycle Works.
	Detailed plans are produced by Telereal Trillium annually and reviewed by DWP to ensure that all proposed work is delivered to the Department's satisfaction. This ongoing programme of validation has ensured that DWP has no backlog of maintenance relating to its estate.

Departmental Lost Property

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many members of staff of his Department who lost laptop computers were issued with a final written warning in each of the last five years.

Chris Grayling: I refer the right hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 12 October 2011, Official Report, columns 424-25.
	The centrally held records cannot be broken down further to identify the action taken where employees lost laptops for the periods in question. To attempt to do so would involve disproportionate cost.

Departmental Lost Property

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many final written warnings were issued to staff of his Department who lost laptops, mobile telephones and Blackberry mobile devices between 1 May 2010 and 31 July 2011.

Chris Grayling: I refer the right hon. Member to the written answer given to him on 12 October 2011, Official Report, columns 424-25.
	The centrally held records cannot be broken down further to identify the action taken where employees lost laptops, mobile telephones and Blackberry mobile devices for the periods in question. To attempt to do so would involve disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in his Department.

Chris Grayling: DWP does not have London weightings or London living allowances. For senior civil servants (SCS) there are no pay differentials for staff working in London. For staff below SCS there are separate pay scales for staff working in inner London and outer London and the pay scales are between £1,250 and £5,280 higher than national pay scales.
	We estimate that the additional cost is £45.317 million for the 14,025 staff working in London.

Sick Leave

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for how many days on average his Department's staff in each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in 2010-11.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to reducing sickness absence and has made significant improvements in recent years. We have cut absence rates from a peak of 11.1 average days lost in March 2007 to 8.1 average days lost in March 2011. Currently the Department is operating at 7.8 average working days lost.
	The following table shows a breakdown of average working days lost (AWDL) in each pay grade for 2010-11.
	
		
			 Grade AWDL 
			 Administrative Assistant 8.6 
			 Administrative Officer 9.8 
			 Executive Officer 7.4 
			 Higher Executive Officer 4.6 
			 Senior Executive Officer 3.8 
			 Grade 7 3.2 
			 Grade 6 1.8 
			 Senior Civil Service 3.0

E-mail

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in his Department use private e-mail accounts for the conduct of government business.

Chris Grayling: The Ministerial Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, and the Civil Service Code set out how Ministers, officials and special advisers should conduct government business.

Jobseeker’s Allowance: Education

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department provides to individuals in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance who enrol on short college courses.

Chris Grayling: The Government recognises the importance that education and skills can play in helping people find work. Jobseekers may undertake up to two weeks of full-time training in any 12-month period, with the agreement of their Jobcentre Plus adviser, without jeopardising their benefit entitlements. Jobseekers who have been on jobseeker's allowance for more than six months are able to access training for up to 30 hours per week for up to eight weeks, subject to the agreement of their adviser, and still remain on jobseeker's allowance. Jobseekers can also undertake part-time education or training at any point in their claim and continue to receive jobseeker's allowance as long as they continue to meet the basic conditions of entitlement.
	For other types of training, the Department can pay training allowances instead of jobseeker's allowance. But this, like help to cover travel costs for accessing training, or paying for replacement adult or child care to enable a claimant to undertake training, is met from the Flexible Support Fund and is discretionary.
	The Department for Work and Pensions works with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government to ensure that publicly-funded skills and training support available to benefit recipients complements the employment support provided by Jobcentre Plus.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time was between submission of an appeal against a decision on the award of (a) employment and support allowance and (b) disability living allowance and the appeal hearing in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: In the current year, April 2011 to September 2011, the average actual clearance time (AACT) for an employment and support allowance (ESA) appeal was 35.2 days. For the same period the average actual clearance time (AACT) for a disability living allowance (DLA) appeal was 31.9 days.
	The start date for measuring the clearance time is the date that a duly made appeal is received within the Department of Work and Pensions. The end date is when the appeal submission is issued to Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS).
	In addition, the table shows the average time taken from receipt of an appeal at HMCTS to the date of the first appeal hearing for employment and support allowance and disability living allowance appeals.
	The information covers 1 April to 31 August 2011, the latest period for which figures are available.
	
		
			  Average time in weeks from receipt at HMCTS to first hearing 
			 Employment and support allowance 23.20 
			 Disability living allowance 25.48 
		
	
	Waiting times for a hearing result from an unexpectedly high level of appeals. In response, HMCTS has significantly increased its capacity and, nationally, published management information showing that 28% more social security and child support appeals were cleared between 1 April and 31 August 2011 when compared with the same period in 2010 (and 72% when compared with this period in 2009). In August 2011 clearances were 27% higher than August 2010, and 84% higher than August 2009. The number of disposals in August 2011 exceeded receipts for the eighth consecutive month. Further capacity increases are in hand.
	The source of the data is the Management Information System Programme (MISP). MISP is the departmental performance management, data capture and reporting tool. This type of internal management information does not form part of the official statistics outputs that are released by the Department in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority's Code of Practice.
	Sources:
	1. HMCTS Social Security and Child Support monthly returns
	2. Department for Work and Pensions - Management Information Statistics

Work Capability Assessment: Wales

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Wales and (b) Wrexham (i) applied for incapacity benefit, (ii) were requested to attend a personal capability assessment, (iii) had their incapacity benefit refused following an assessment and (iv) had their incapacity benefit reinstated following a review or appeal in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: Since October 2008, new claims to incapacity benefits have been made to employment and support allowance so the only flows to old-style incapacity benefits—incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance (SDA)—have been from linked claims. Information on flows to incapacity benefits and other benefits can be found on the Department's Tabulation Tool at the following link:
	http://83.244.183.180/flows/flows_on/tabtool.html
	For example, the following link shows flows onto old-style incapacity benefits for people of working age by region/country. This shows the number of flows in the year to February 2011 was 1,820 in Wales:
	http://83.244.183.180/flows/flows_on/ibsda/cdquarter/ccgor/ccclient/a_carate_r_cdquarter_c_ccgor_p_ccclient_working_ age.html
	The number of flows onto old-style incapacity benefits in Wrexham local authority area is around 60. This is calculated from further breakdowns available using the tabulation tool.
	Information tracking people claiming old-style incapacity benefits and what happened to them at the personal capability assessment (PCA) is only held from October 2008 onwards. At this stage most assessments related to existing longer term incapacity benefit claims and not new incapacity benefit claims, (i.e. repeat PCAs and not the initial PCA). Therefore, information relating to both initial and repeat PCAs combined has been presented.
	Table 1 shows information on the number and outcomes of PCAs carried out between March 2010 and February 2011 (the latest data available). Note that the information in Table 1 cannot be directly compared to data on new claims to IB as the data contain information on repeat PCAs which make up the vast majority of PCAs carried out in this time period.
	
		
			 Table 1: Personal capability assessments outcomes, March 2010 to February 2011 
			  PCA exempt Disallowed at PCA Pass PCA Total 
			 Wales 1,400 5,200 16,300 22,900 
			 Wrexham 0 100 200 300 
			 Notes: 1. The information in the table is from benefit claims data held by the Department for Work and Pensions and functional assessment data sourced from Atos Healthcare. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 claims and totals may not sum due to rounding. 
		
	
	Table 2 shows information on appeals that have been heard relating to PCAs carried out between March 2010 and February 2011 (as in Table 1). The Department only holds information on appeals once they have been heard by the Tribunal Service. Due to the time it takes for appeals to be submitted to the Tribunals Service and heard, it is likely there are more appeals that have not yet been heard, so the number of appeals is likely to change as more up to date information becomes available.
	
		
			 Table 2: Appeals heard for PCAs completed between March 2010 and February 2011 by decision made by the Tribunal Service 
			  Decision in favour of appellant Decision upheld Total 
			 Wales 500 500 1,000 
			 Wrexham 0 0 0 
			 Notes: 1. The data presented above come from benefit claims data held by the Department for Work and Pensions, functional assessment data from Atos Healthcare and appeals data from the Tribunals Service. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 claims and totals may not sum due to rounding.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Balkans: Politics and Government

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to help increase stability in Kosovo and the Western Balkans.

David Lidington: We believe that EU accession, and the accession process itself, is the best guarantee for bringing about long-term stability in the Western Balkans. As I said in response to the EU enlargement progress reports, we remain clear that the future of the Western Balkans lies in the EU once the full range of criteria have been met.
	In addition to our support for the EU accession process, the UK also pursues a range of activity in the region aimed at increasing stability. The Western Balkans has been allocated £5.52 million this financial year as part of the Conflict Prevention Fund. Project work is also funded through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Diplomatic Values and Influence Fund—Reuniting Europe. Some examples of the steps the FCO has taken to help increase stability in the Western Balkans include:
	In Albania project work supports the Supreme Court, Bar Chamber and Parliament. For example, the parliamentary project is working to tackle the political stalemate through supporting dialogue in Parliament.
	In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the UK provides secondees to the EU Police Mission and the Ministry of Public Security. The UK strongly supports the role of the EU-led Peacekeeping Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, EUFOR Althea, contributing troops, and has seconded a UK national to support the work of the EU Special Representative Peter Sorensen. The UK also commits programme funding to post-conflict reconciliation and Srebrenica-related projects.
	In Kosovo, the UK currently provides over 30 secondees to the EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX), including the Deputy Head of Mission, judges, police officers and the Head of Customs. The UK is also funding conflict-related projects, such as on post-war property issues. Kosovo's progress as an independent state is crucial for the region's stability and to this end the UK remains actively engaged in lobbying for further recognitions. I have met the leaders of the Kosovan and Serbian delegations to the EU-facilitated dialogue, as the UK strongly supports the dialogue as a means for stabilising relations between Pristina and Belgrade.
	In Macedonia, the FCO supported the Ohrid Framework Agreement academic conference in June. This reinforced the importance of closer inter-ethnic relations as a way of further securing stability in the country.
	In Montenegro, the UK is providing project support to assist with the implementation of the reforms required for EU and NATO membership. This will enable Montenegro to be a stable country inclusive of ail its communities and making progress towards its Euro-Atlantic ambitions.
	In Serbia, the UK is spending £500,000 in this financial year supporting conflict prevention activity, including activities strengthening civil society links between Serbia and Kosovo, improving access for ethnic minorities to state institutions, and increasing the range of Serbian actors involved in reconciliation activity.

British Nationals Abroad: Rape

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on (a) how many and (b) what proportion of cases of a British citizen being raped abroad have (i) reached trial and (ii) resulted in a conviction in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Henry Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has an electronic database used to record our individual consular case handling. However, the database does not capture the specific statistics requested.
	We take any report of rape or sexual assault seriously and will offer support as soon as possible and in private. The support we offer to British nationals who are victims of rape or sexual assault overseas is set out in our public guide ‘Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide’.

Colombia: Armed Conflict

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the government of Colombia on bringing to justice perpetrators of sexual violence against women and children during the armed conflict in that country.

Jeremy Browne: The Government condemns all forms of violence against women and children.
	We regularly call on the Colombian authorities to investigate human rights abuses fully and to take the necessary steps to protect those at risk including women and children.

Commonwealth

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote the Commonwealth.

Henry Bellingham: The Prime Minister will be leading a high-level ministerial team to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) in Perth this month, which includes the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and the Minister for the Commonwealth, my right hon. and noble Friend, Lord Howell of Guildford. This is a public demonstration of our commitment to the Commonwealth and to strengthening it as a focus for democracy, development and prosperity. We take every opportunity to raise the Commonwealth in public fora, and to promote and support the network's activities in the political, parliamentary, civil society, educational and professional spheres. The Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), the Minister for the Commonwealth, and I have all spoken publicly and had articles published about the importance we attach to this unique organisation. During the last year, Ministers have visited more than 20 Commonwealth countries. We regularly meet our Commonwealth counterparts. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said earlier this year, we want to put the Commonwealth
	“back at the very heart of British foreign policy”.

Departmental Allowances

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much members of his departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010.

David Lidington: To ensure transparency the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) management board publishes, at regular intervals, records of their expenses on the FCO website. A record of expenses for the period April 2010 and March 2011 can be found on
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/publications-and-documents/publications1/annual-reports/senior-staff-expenses/
	Data for the period April 2011 to 30 September 2011 will be published by the end of October.

Departmental ICT

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the original estimate was for the cost to the public purse of his Department's Prism IT enterprise resource planning system in current prices; what the final cost was at the time of completion in current prices; and whether additional costs have been incurred since completion.

David Lidington: Prism has given greater access to over 10,000 Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff globally in more than 200 locations to HR and financial management tools and has simplified processes and enabled efficiencies. The value of the contract in current prices was £55.68 million when it was signed in January 2002. The original contract was extended by two years up to January 2012 to deliver additional new requirements that had not been originally planned. Final costs are not available until the end of the contract, as there is still on-going support and maintenance and some additional development

Departmental Re-location

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many civil servants in his Department have been (a) relocated and (b) agreed to relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the UK.

Henry Bellingham: Aside from its posts overseas the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has staff working in London, Milton Keynes and Hanslope Park (north of Milton Keynes). Staff are able to bid for jobs in any of these locations but we do not compel staff to move to a different work location in the UK. Many choose to change the location of their work without relocating their home. During the last 12 months no civil servants have been relocated within the UK at public expense.

Departmental Pay

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in his Department.

Henry Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) pays a location allowance in London which is not directly linked to cost of living. It is funded from savings made in overseas allowances and leave. It is not reckonable for pension purposes. The FCO paid a total of £6,969,616 in 2010-11.

Falkland Islands: Anniversaries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Argentinian counterpart on the 30th anniversary of the Falklands conflict.

David Lidington: The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), has not had any discussions with his Argentine counterpart about the 30th anniversary of the Falklands conflict. However, planning is under way across Whitehall and on the Falkland Islands for next year's 30th anniversary commemoration events. There are no plans for a joint Anglo-Argentine commemorative event.

Forced Marriage Unit: Finance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the operational budget was for the Forced Marriage Unit in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11.

Henry Bellingham: The operational budget for the Forced Marriage Unit was:
	
		
			 £ 
			 (a) 2009-10 290,000 
			 (b) 2010-11 283,000

Forced Marriage Unit: Manpower

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff the Forced Marriage Unit employed in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11.

Henry Bellingham: The Forced Marriage Unit employed seven members of staff in:
	(a) 2008-09
	(b) 2009-10
	(c) 2010-11

Israel: Politics and Government

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has recently raised the issue of illegal settlement building with his Israeli counterpart.

William Hague: We raise the issue of settlements, which we view as illegal under international law, with the Israelis on a regular basis.
	Following the announcement by the Israeli Government of the creation of a new settlement at Givat Hamatos, I issued the following statement:
	“I am dismayed by the Israeli announcement on 14 October of a new settlement at Givat Hamatos. This provocative step, which further encloses East Jerusalem, is particularly disappointing given the international condemnation of the expansion of the Mordot Gilo settlement just a few weeks ago. Settlements are not only illegal under international law, but also undermine the possibility of a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and those working for a sustainable peace. I call again for these announcements to be revoked. Together with our EU and other partners we will make very clear to the Israeli government the strength of our concern.”
	I raised the issue of settlements with the Israeli Foreign Minister when I met him at the UN General Assembly on 23 September. The British ambassador to Tel Aviv raised the issue of the Mordot Gilo settlement and UK concerns with both Israeli National Security Adviser Amidror and chief negotiator Molho on 2 October. The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), raised this issue with the Israeli ambassador to London on 3 October.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of UK citizens who travelled to Libya to participate in the military action undertaken by the National Transitional Council; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We are unable to provide an estimate of British nationals, or dual British/Libyan nationals, who travelled to Libya to participate in military action. Since the initial evacuation of British nationals in February, we have had no consular presence in Libya. British nationals are not obliged to inform the Government of their travel plans.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of UK citizens wounded in military actions in Libya.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of one British national who was killed and one who has been injured in Libya since March 2011. However, it has not been possible to make a reliable estimate of the number of British nationals wounded in military action.

Middle East: Overseas Aid

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution has been made by (a) the Government and (b) the EU to the funding of the Middle East Quartet in each of the last five years.

Alistair Burt: The Government have been seconding three members of staff to work in the Office of the Quartet Representative since 2007. Two members of staff are funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and one by the Department for International Development (DFID). In 2007-08 DFID provided £400,000 for running costs. Since then the Government have not provided any further financial contributions to the Middle East Quartet, other than the staff mentioned above. We are not aware of any EU funding to the Quartet.

Moldova: Armed Conflict

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage a political solution to the conflict in Transnistria.

David Lidington: The UK supports international efforts to find a sustainable settlement on Transnistria and welcomes the agreement reached on 22 September to resume official negotiations in the 5+2 format, in which the EU holds observer status.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers and senior officials regularly discuss the Transnistrian issue with their EU and other counterparts. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) and I discussed it with the Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister, Iurie Leanca, in London on 7 September. The Foreign Secretary also raised it with Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow on 12 September.
	The UK, drawing on its own experience of conflict resolution in Northern Ireland, is active in conflict prevention and confidence building work on the ground. The British embassy Chisinau's flagship Transnistrian Dialogues programme helps to bring together groups from both sides of the Nistru to discuss shared problems and identify solutions. The embassy is engaged in a number of other initiatives, including on the important subject of guarantees that could underpin the process leading to a settlement and an eventual settlement itself. An FCO-funded Political-Military Adviser is seconded to the OSCE Mission to Moldova.

Roads: Accidents

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the incidence of road traffic accidents abroad involving British nationals; and if he will place a copy of any such research in the Library.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has not commissioned any research on the incidence of road traffic accidents abroad. The FCO's Travel Advice and our ‘Know Before You Go' publicity campaigns occasionally refer to statistics on road traffic accidents abroad. These statistics are obtained from the Department for Transport and independent automobile associations.

Roads: Accidents

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  how many deaths of British citizens occurred as a result of road accidents in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010 and (e) 2011 to date by country;
	(2)  what information his Department holds on the age profile of road traffic deaths of British citizens abroad by country in each of the last five years.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has an electronic database used to record our individual consular case handling. However, the database does not capture the specific statistics requested.

Syria: Politics and Government

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with which foreign counterparts he has had recent discussions on the situation in Syria.

William Hague: I have had recent discussions about the situation in Syria with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, with Foreign Ministers from the Arab league, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria, Russia, Italy, Jordan and the United States and with my EU colleagues at the Foreign Affairs Council on 10 October. Most recently, I discussed Syria with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani of Qatar and President Aziz of Mauritania.
	In my discussions, I made clear the UK's condemnation of the violence against civilians who are expressing their views in peaceful protests, and the need for the Syrian authorities to show restraint and to respond to the legitimate demands of people with immediate and genuine reform, not brutal repression.
	We have also led work to secure UN action. The UN Security Council Presidential Statement issued on 3 August condemned the violence in Syria. On 4 October, the Security Council voted on a draft UK, French, German and Portuguese resolution on Syria, condemning the Syrian regime's use of force, calling for an end to violence, and threatening sanctions. Nine of the fifteen members of the UNSC voted in favour of this Resolution, but Russia and China regrettably chose to block it. It is a mistake on their part to side with a brutal regime rather than with the people of Syria.

Tourism

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens travelled abroad (a) as tourists and (b) on business by country in each of the last five years.

David Lidington: While the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does have a facility for British nationals to register their overseas travel plans, registration is entirely voluntary. We are therefore unable to provide the statistics and profile of travellers requested.

JUSTICE

Debt Collection: Local Government

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of local authorities that (a) use in-house bailiffs and (b) employ private bailiffs for debt recovery; and how many local authorities have closed their in-house operations in the last five years.

Bob Neill: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government has made no estimate of the number of local authorities that (a) use in-house bailiffs and (b) employ private bailiffs for debt recovery; nor has it collected information on the number of local authorities that have closed their in-house operations in the last five years.

Debt Collection: Local Government

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice who supervises the (a) activities of and (b) charges made by private bailiffs' companies recovering debts owing to local authorities; how many illegal actions by bailiffs engaged in this work have been prosecuted in the last year for which figures are available; and what plans he has to establish a regulator for the charges and practices of bailiffs.

Jonathan Djanogly: There is no national body that supervises the activities and charges made by private bailiffs' companies recovering debts owing to local authorities. These activities and charges are governed by a combination of statute, secondary legislation and the individual contract arrangements agreed between the local authority and the bailiff company concerned. Concerns about the activities and charges of bailiffs, acting on behalf of a local authority, should be directed to the local authority or if appropriate, to the court for review. There are no figures available detailing the number of prosecutions against bailiffs for illegal action. The Government are clear that aggressive bailiff activity is unacceptable and are committed to bringing forward effective proposals which protect the public and ensure that bailiff action is proportionate. We will announce the details of these measures in due course.

Departmental Allowances

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much members of his departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010.

Kenneth Clarke: Expenditure incurred by my Department's executive management board from May 2010—including expenses claimed—is published on its website.
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/corporate-reports/moj/2010/directors-general-business-costs-and-hospitality-2010/index.htm
	We will be publishing the next quarter (July-September 2011) in due course.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to third sector organisations in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement.

Kenneth Clarke: A combination of information from the Contracts Finder Database and internal records shows that the number of contracts the MoJ has awarded directly to third sector organisations since May 2010 is 21. The value of these contracts is circa £17 million with a proportion of the final payment dependent on performance.
	A breakdown by month is not currently available.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to (a) small, (b) medium-sized and (c) large businesses in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice has awarded the following contracts directly to (a) small, (b) medium-sized and (c) large businesses since May 2010.
	
		
			  Number of contracts Total value of contracts (£ billion) 
			 Small 66 0.31 
			 Medium 82 0.26 
			 Large 153 2.26 
			 Total 301 2.83 
		
	
	A breakdown by month is not currently available.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many contracts his Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; what proportion were awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b) small businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Kenneth Clarke: Since May 2010 the Ministry of Justice has awarded a total of 301 contracts with a value of circa £2.83 billion. The requirement to publish contracts on Contracts Finder commenced in January 2011. Since January, the Ministry of Justice has published 235 contracts on Contracts Finder with a value of circa £2.79 billion.
	Since May 2010 the Ministry of Justice has awarded 21 contracts to third sector organisation with a value of circa £17 million with a proportion of the final payment dependent on performance, and 66 contracts have been awarded to small businesses with a value of circa £312 million.
	A breakdown by month is not currently available.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on new furnishings in the last year for which figures are available.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) total expenditure on new furnishings for 2010-11 was £7.9 million. This excludes probation trusts and the Youth Justice Board.
	The following is a breakdown by business groups (this excludes, probation trusts and the Youth Justice Board):
	
		
			  £000 
			 Ministry of Justice HQ Core (MoJ HQ Core) 1,261 
			 National Offender Management Service (NOMS) 2,071 
			 Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) 4,353 
			 Tribunals Services (TS) 120 
			 Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) 71 
			 Total expenditure on new furnishings for 2010-11 7,876 
		
	
	Please note the above figure for total expenditure on new furnishings for 2010-11 includes the £2.5 million relating to capital expenditure. Please refer to the following link to MoJ annual report for 2010-11 page 139:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/corporate-reports/moj/annual-report-accounts-2010-11.htm

Cyber-Security

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to improve cyber-security in relation to his Department's estate; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Government take cyber-security very seriously and it has been categorised as a tier one threat to UK national security. £650 million is being invested over the next four years in a National Cyber- Security Programme, working across Departments, with the private sector, international partners and citizens to improve the UK's cyber security capability.
	The Ministry of Justice routinely assesses the prevailing threats to its ICT systems and applies appropriate and proportionate measures in accordance with the Government standards set out in the Cabinet Office's Security Policy Framework (SPF); these standards are aligned with industry best practice approaches.
	It is not in the interest of national security to make public details of particular improvements in relation to individual Departments as it may expose vulnerabilities to those who may seek to exploit them.

Harassment: Sentencing

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people are serving a prison sentence as a result of a conviction for stalking or harassment-related offences.

Crispin Blunt: Information held centrally cannot separately identify offenders serving prison sentences for stalking or harassment-related offences. This detailed information may be held by the prisons on individual case files, which are not reported to Justice Statistics Analytical Services.

Human Trafficking: Victim Support Schemes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases were referred to the Trafficking Victim Support Scheme run by the Salvation Army between (a) 15 and 31 July and (b) 1 and 31 August 2011; and by whom.

Crispin Blunt: The information is as follows:
	(a) Between 15 and 31 July, 14 individuals were referred to the Government-funded support service for adult victims of trafficking in England and Wales, which is run by the Salvation Army. The referrals were made by the police, the UK Border Agency, HM Prison Service, charities, and solicitors.
	(b) Between 1 and 31 August, 36 individuals were referred. The referrals were made by the police, the UK Border Agency, social services, charities, solicitors and by individual victims (self referral).

Immunity Certificates

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many public interest immunity certificates were issued by the courts in the last five years; and under which legislative provisions in each such case.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice does not hold information centrally on the number of public interest immunity certificates issued by the court and the legislative provision involved in each case. The requested information could be obtained only through the manual identification and inspection of individual case files held by the courts at disproportionate cost.

Legal Aid Scheme: Greater London

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many acts of legal assistance were provided in (a) West Ham constituency, (b) the London Borough of Newham and (c) London in each of the last five years.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is responsible for administering the legal aid scheme in England and Wales.
	The following tables show the numbers of acts of assistance delivered by legal aid providers in the last four years with postcodes falling within the West Ham constituency separately; the London borough of Newham as a whole, which comprises the West Ham and East Ham constituencies and the London regional area which shows the providers within the vicinity of the LSC's London regional office.
	This information represents the nearest matches of the LSC's available data to the information requested. The figures for 2010-11 are not yet available.
	
		
			 West Ham constituency 
			  Crime lower claims Legal help new matter starts Civil representation certificates issues Crime higher cases 
			 2006-07 7,101 4,169 519 626 
			 2007-08 6,078 4,599 538 629 
			 2008-09 6,749 3,480 545 723 
			 2009-10 8,133 1,528 409 990 
		
	
	
		
			 London borough of Newham (comprising West Ham and East Ham constituencies) 
			  Crime lower claims Legal help new matter starts Civil representation certificates issues Crime higher cases 
			 2006-07 9,301 9,339 1,058 857 
			 2007-08 8,682 9,104 1,025 877 
			 2008-09 9,714 9,224 1,119 1,127 
			 2009-10 9,953 6,030 1,133 1,214 
		
	
	
		
			 London regional area 
			  Crime lower claims Legal help new matter starts Civil representation certificates issues Crime higher cases 
			 2006-07 266,138 158,638 26,692 22,090 
			 2007-08 241,839 154,370 24,006 24,984 
			 2008-09 256,332 176,957 26,989 28,759 
			 2009-10 260,009 173,683 29,365 30,127

Offenders: Foreign Nationals

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of foreign national offenders subject to Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements have served custodial sentences.

Crispin Blunt: As I explained in my reply to my hon. Friend of 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 162W, information on the nationality of offenders subject to Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Without that information, it is not possible to state the number and proportion of foreign national offenders subject to MAPPA who have served custodial sentences.

Prisons: Waiting Lists

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the waiting time is for places for Category D prisoners held in Category C prisons who wish to move to (a) HMP Blantyre House, (b) HMP Ford, (c) HMP Hatfield, (d) HMP Hewell, (e) HMP Hollesley Bay, (f) HMP Kirkham, (g) HMP Kirklevington Grange, (h) HMP Latchmere House, (i) HMP Leyhill, (j) HMP North Sea Camp, (k) HMP Spring Hill, (l) HMP Standford Hill and (m) HMP Sudbury.

Crispin Blunt: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost as it would be necessary to contact every category C prison and request them to consult individual prisoner records to identify the number of category D prisoners waiting for transfer into any of the prisons requested and the length of time they had been waiting.

Public Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to put in place a right to provide for public sector workers to take over the running of services; and if he will make a statement.

Kenneth Clarke: In keeping with the rest of Government, Ministry of Justice employees will have a right to provide services through employee-owned or part-owned mutuals, as well as organisations such as social enterprises and co-operatives. We have been actively exploring opportunities for Ministry of Justice workers to leave the public sector to take over the running of services.
	All such opportunities are being considered within the context of our strategic approach to competition, as set out in the Offender Services Competition Strategy(1).
	(1) http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/corporate-reports/moj/oscs.htm

Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been sentenced to prison terms of (a) less than six months , (b) between six and 12 months, (c) between one and two years and (d) over two years in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The number of persons sentenced to an immediate custodial sentence at all courts in England and Wales for 2006 to 2010 (latest available) is provided in the table.
	Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring, 2012.
	
		
			 Number of persons sentenced to an immediate custodial sentence at all courts, England and Wales, 2006-10 
			 Sentence length 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Less than six months 59,134 57,536 58,076 57,392 58,497 
		
	
	
		
			 Six months to 12 months 10,973 11,633 12,572 13,014 12,670 
			 One year to two years 10,762 10,894 11,872 12,664 12,832 
			 Over two years 15,148 15,143 17,005 17,161 17,514 
			 Total 96,017 95,206 99,525 100,231 101,513 
			 Notes: 1. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected Is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3. Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Trials: British Nationals Abroad

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to ensure fair trials for UK citizens involved in (a) criminal and (b) civil proceedings in other EU member states.

Kenneth Clarke: All EU member states are parties to the European convention on human rights and are required under that instrument to provide those charged with a criminal offence the right to a fair trial and to respect the fundamental rights of litigants in civil proceedings. The action that the Ministry of Justice can take bilaterally in respect of the domestic legal systems of other member states is limited; however bilateral meetings are sometimes held to raise particular issues in appropriate circumstances. Consular staff from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can offer assistance to British nationals who are detained in other EU member states. While they cannot give legal advice, they can give basic information about the local legal system and provide a list of local lawyers. If appropriate they will consider approaching the local authorities if a British national who has been arrested in another country is not being treated in line with internationally-accepted standards of justice.
	At EU level, the Ministry of Justice is participating in the negotiations on a series of EU measures to set minimum standards in the area of procedural rights for defendants in criminal proceedings known as the “Roadmap” on Procedural Rights. These instruments aim to ensure that all member states provide a high minimum standard of rights to defendants so that competent authorities are able to operate EU instruments of mutual recognition against a background of mutual trust, and they will benefit UK citizens in other member states. The UK opted in to the first two measures on the Roadmap, but has not opted in at the initial stage of the negotiations to the latest directive: on access to a lawyer in criminal proceedings and the right to communicate upon arrest. The Government believe that access to a lawyer is an essential right of accused persons at appropriate stages of any process of criminal investigations. However, we are of the view that the Commission's proposal is not proportionate and could have an adverse effect on our ability to investigate and prosecute offences effectively. The Government are participating in the negotiations and if our concerns are satisfactorily addressed, we will consider applying to opt in once the instrument has been adopted.
	EU legislation in the area of civil judicial co-operation is restricted to matters having cross-border implications. In the context of facilitating the international recognition and enforcement of civil judgments within the EU, which is regulated at the EU level, a UK priority is always to secure a fair balance between enabling claimants to get their judgments recognised and enforced abroad and, at the same time, ensuring that there is proper protection for the interests of defendants. The means whereby this balance is struck varies depending on the nature of the particular civil proceedings which are being regulated.

Trials: Human Rights

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has made an estimate of the cost to the courts service of trying issues raised by litigants under the Human Rights Act 1998 in (a) criminal and (b) civil proceedings since 1997.

Jonathan Djanogly: The majority of claims and actions brought under the Human Rights Act 1998 are heard in civil courts. HM Courts and Tribunals Service charges fees to recover the full costs of civil actions from plaintiffs. Appellants are not charged fees by HM Courts and Tribunals Service for criminal appeals.
	The information requested is not held centrally. Costs are either unavailable or can be derived only at disproportionate cost for hearings for which it is not possible to attribute case costs to elements of the decision.
	For example, providing costs relating to the Court of Appeal would involve the retrieval and individual examination of a considerable number of files. However, few appeals would be decided solely on any 1998 Human Rights Act issue/s and there is no basis for determining how such issues affect the costs of a case.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Electoral Registration

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is on whether electoral registration is a (a) civic duty or (b) individual lifestyle choice; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The Government very much believe that registering to vote is a civic duty and we will strongly encourage people to register to vote. The Government also believe that the act is one of personal responsibility and that individuals who choose not to apply to register to vote should not be subject to a criminal offence. It is not an offence not to be registered under the current system and this will not change under the new system.

CABINET OFFICE

Departmental Allowances

Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much members of his departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010.

Francis Maude: Business expenses for senior officials in the Cabinet Office are published on a quarterly basis and can be found at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/business-expenses-senior-officials
	Information for quarters from July 2010 onwards will be published in due course. None of the non-executive board members has claimed expenses in connection with board meetings since May 2010.

Departmental Re-location

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants in his Department have been (a) relocated and (b) agreed for relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the UK.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office has not relocated or agreed to relocate any civil servants over the last 12 months.

Departmental Pay

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in his Department.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office recognises the distinction between London and National pay rates with London and National pay bands. Details of Cabinet Office pay bands, as at 31 July 2011, are published on the
	www.data.gov.uk
	website at the following address:
	http://data.gov.uk/dataset/staff-organograms-and-pay-cabinet-office

Procurement

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what contracts of a monetary value of (a) between £100,000 and £500,000, (b) between £500,000 and £1 million and (c) over £1 million his Department has entered into with private suppliers in each year since 1990.

Francis Maude: Transparency in contract awards is important. This is why all awards from January 2011 to September 2011 are published monthly on the Contracts Finder website:
	http://www.contractsfinder.co.uk
	as part of the Government's transparency agenda.
	The information requested before this date could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Security

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to improve cyber-security in relation to his Department's estate; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: The Government take cyber-security very seriously and it has been categorised as a tier one threat to UK national security. £650 million is being invested over the next four years in a National Cyber-Security Programme to improve the UK's cyber-security capability.
	The Cabinet Office routinely assesses the prevailing threats to its ICT systems and applies appropriate and proportionate measures in accordance with the Government standards set out in the Cabinet Office's Security Policy Framework and these standards are aligned with best practice approaches.
	It is not in the interest of national security to make public details of particular improvements in relation to individual Departments, as it may expose vulnerabilities to those who may seek to exploit them.

Government Departments: Procurement

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to inform small and medium-sized enterprises about the rules of public procurement.

Francis Maude: Both Cabinet Office and BIS provide a range of advice, guidance and information for SMEs on the Businesslink website at:
	www.businesslink.gov.uk/procurement
	while generic information about public procurement is available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/topic/59
	We are planning to launch, in the late autumn, the new procedures for Lean Procurement, which will further help SMEs by improving pre-market engagement with prospective suppliers and by streamlining the procurement process to make it easier and simpler for all suppliers to do business with the Government.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Departmental Security

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to improve cyber-security in relation to his Department's estate; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Government take cyber-security very seriously and it has been categorised as a tier one threat to UK national security. £650 million is being invested over the next four years in a National Cyber- Security Programme, working across Departments, with the private sector, international partners and citizens to improve the UK's cyber-security capability.
	The Department routinely assesses the prevailing threats to its ICT systems and applies appropriate and proportionate measures in accordance with the Government standards set out in the Cabinet Office's Security Policy Framework (SPF); these standards are aligned with industry best practice approaches.
	It is not in the interest of national security to make public details of particular improvements in relation to individual departments as it may expose vulnerabilities to those who may seek to exploit them.

Departmental Travel

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on first class travel by (a) air, (b) boat and (c) train since May 2010.

Gregory Barker: In the period May 2010 to end September 2011 first class travel costs incurred by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) were:
	(a) Air—0;
	(b) DECC does not record boat travel separately from other travel and subsistence costs. To identify expenditure on 1(st) class boat travel in the period would incur disproportionate cost;
	(c) Rail—£23,000.
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with DECC's travel policy which requires that economy class travel should be undertaken unless there is a clear business or practical case for doing otherwise. First class air travel is prohibited in all circumstances.

Downstream Oil Industry Forum

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his recent discussions with energy companies have included representatives from UKLPG (the trade association for the liquefied petroleum gas industry in the UK); and whether the issue of communal contracts and the provision of variations to such contracts in order to enable individual domestic consumers to switch supplier has been discussed at such meetings.

Charles Hendry: There have been no recent discussions with representatives from UKLPG. A list of ministerial meetings with external organisations is available, on a quarterly basis, on the Department's website:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/ministermtgs/ministermtgs.aspx
	The Office of Fair Trading published its market study on off-grid energy on 18 October and noted that it was continuing to keep this area under review.

E-mail

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether any (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in his Department use private e-mail accounts for the conduct of Government business.

Gregory Barker: The Ministerial Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, and the Civil Service Code set out how Ministers, officials and special advisers should conduct Government business.

EU Energy Policy

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's priorities are for energy and climate change in European budget negotiations.

Gregory Barker: holding answer 18 October 2011
	The Government's representation in the negotiations on both the Annual Budget and Multi-Annual Financial Framework processes is led by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), supported by relevant Government Departments on the basis of an agreed UK position.
	While controlling the size of the budget is the UK's main priority, the Government believe that funding for climate change and energy objectives should make up a larger share of an EU budget that increases, at most, by no more than inflation in the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework, and that climate change objectives should be mainstreamed across all relevant Headings, ensuring that the EU's investments are compatible with and contribute to the EU's cost-effective transition to a low carbon economy. The Government have made this case to the Commission and will continue to do so as negotiations on the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework progress.

Feed-in Tariffs

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the cost of feed-in tariffs to taxpayers unable to utilise solar and wind power.

Gregory Barker: Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) are funded through consumers' energy bills rather than through general taxation. DECC estimates that FITs will lead to an average annual increase in energy bills for households that do not take up FITs of £8.50 over the 2011-30 period. This estimate is subject to change as a result of the ongoing comprehensive review of FITs; the review will seek to maximise money and cost-effectiveness in the scheme.

Fuels: Prices

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will assess the effect on the price of fuel of the practice of companies storing oil at sea; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The Department has not undertaken a detailed assessment of the impact of storing oil at sea on fuel prices.
	We recognise that changes in floating storage can have impacts on fuel prices, although, we believe, these effects in practice are small and transitory compared to more fundamental market drivers.

Green Deal

Mark Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what training his Department plans to provide to ensure that installers have the skills to meet demand for renewable technologies and energy-efficient products following the introduction of the Green Deal.

Gregory Barker: We are working with industry and the British Standards Institute (BSI) to set out clear standards for Green Deal installers, which will be published in January 2012. This will form the basis for new training frameworks.
	In parallel, we are working with the sector skills councils, who have set up the Green Skills Alliance, to identify skills gaps and work with local training providers to create the training required to support the Green Deal. For many installers, this may simply mean updating their existing skills.

Green Deal

Mark Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations he has received from (a) high street retailers and (b) trade bodies regarding the delivery of the Green Deal; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Department has received representations from high street retailers, trade bodies and a range of other potential Green Deal participants. We continue to explore with a broad range of participants options on all aspects of Green Deal delivery.

Green Deal

Mark Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings he has had with (a) manufacturers and (b) retailers to discuss steps to ensure that the supply of Green Deal technologies will meet demand.

Gregory Barker: The Department has had a number of meetings with manufacturers and retailers to ensure that the supply of Green Deal technologies will meet demand. We have also established a series of Green Deal fora which capture industry views and expertise, including a forum on supply capacity chaired by the Government's chief construction adviser Paul Morrell.

Green Growth Forum

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which representatives of his Department he expects to attend the Green Growth Forum in Denmark.

Gregory Barker: holding answer 17 October 2011
	Three officials from the Department of Energy and Climate Change attended the Global Green Growth Forum on 11-12 October: Bernie Bulkin (Head of the Office of Renewable Energy Deployment), the Head of International Low Carbon Energy team and the Head of International Climate Finance Project Development.

Microgeneration

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has for the promotion of micro-combined heat and power systems.

Gregory Barker: Following the discussion of this technology at Committee Stage of the Energy Bill, the department has progressed with the commitment given at the end of that debate to consider the long-term role for micro-CHP. My officials met the hon. Member for Southampton, Test (Dr Whitehead) shortly afterwards and have also held talks with industry bodies.
	In August the Micropower Council organised an event on micro-CHP involving senior DECC officials and the leading players from across the industry, and as a result of that meeting, the industry will shortly be presenting the Government with proposals for progressing this technology.
	Micro-CHP is supported under the feed-in tariffs (FITs). A comprehensive review of the scheme is currently underway and is considering all aspects of the scheme including administration, tariffs and eligibility for FITs. We are intending to consult on formal proposals later this year. Changes as a result of the review will be implemented in April 2012 unless the review indicates the need for greater urgency.

Public Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to put in place a right to provide for public sector workers to take over the running of services; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: In line with stated Government policy, DECC is committed to the principle of public service mutuals and the right to provide. DECC oversees very little service provision. Recent reviews (2011 DECC delivery review and spending review and DECC budgeting processes) have confirmed that the Department does not provide or commission services where further changes in provision arrangements would be appropriate.

Public Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department has taken to encourage the development of public service mutuals in its area of responsibility; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: In line with stated Government policy, DECC is committed to the principle of public service mutuals and the right to provide. DECC oversees very little service provision. Recent reviews (2011 DECC delivery review and spending review and DECC budgeting processes) have confirmed that the Department does not provide or commission services where further changes in provision arrangements would be appropriate.

Renewable Energy

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cost of National Grid transmission charges would be for (a) Westminster city council, (b) Aberdeenshire and (c) Angus council selling renewable electricity to the Grid.

Charles Hendry: Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) charges are paid by renewable generators over 100 MW only—most renewable generators are connected to the distribution system and are not subject to TNUoS charges.
	Westminster city council falls in the central London generation charging zone where the generation TNUoS charge is -£6.85/kW.
	Aberdeenshire falls in the North Scotland generation charging zone where the generation TNUoS charge is £21.49/kW.
	Angus council falls in the central Highlands charging zone where the generation TNUoS charge is £18.18/kW.
	Ofgem are currently reviewing the transmission charging regime under Project TransmiT to ensure that it will facilitate low carbon generation while maintaining security of supply and having regard to the efficient use of the network. Project TransmiT is scheduled to reach a decision on any changes to the charging regime by April 2012.

Renewable Energy

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the likelihood of achieving the interim target of four per cent. of UK energy consumption coming from renewable sources by 2012.

Gregory Barker: Member states are required to submit Progress Reports to the European Commission every two years to update on their progress towards meeting their interim and 2020 renewables targets. We will submit our first Report to the Commission by the end of this year. This will include a projection of expected out-turn against all of the UK's interim targets.

Renewable Heat Initiative Scheme

Mark Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect that the delay to the introduction of the non-domestic Renewable Heat Initiative scheme will have on the heating industry.

Gregory Barker: We have not made a formal assessment of the effect of the delay to introducing the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme. However, we are in regular contact with representatives from the heating industry. We understand that the delay is frustrating and remain committed to launching the scheme as soon as possible to minimise disruption to the industry.

Solar Power

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to encourage the development of solar farms.

Charles Hendry: Solar photovoltaic (PV) is one of the technologies supported under the Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) scheme which is the mechanism of support to encourage the deployment of small scale low-carbon electricity generation up to 5MW. The level of support for solar PV installations over 250kW and all stand-alone PV installations is 8.5p/kwh.

HEALTH

Departmental Allowances

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much members of his departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010.

Anne Milton: Details of expenses claimed by departmental board members are available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Aboutus/MinistersandDepartmentLeaders/Departmentdirectors/DH_110759
	This covers the period up to December 2010.
	Further information on expenses claimed up to June 2011 will be published on the website shortly.

Departmental Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost to his Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of invoices settled in that period his Department paid (a) electronically and (b) by cheque.

Anne Milton: Currently the Department holds no data on the cost of processing an invoice. The Department settles all its invoices electronically. This 100% electronic process has been in place since August 2006.

Departmental Re-location

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many civil servants in his Department have been (a) relocated and (b) agreed to relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the UK.

Simon Burns: None of the Department's civil servants have been formally relocated with the use of relocation 'packages' within the 12 months. However, there were five or fewer cases of voluntary change of location where some help was given with removals costs where the moving was to the advantage of the Department.
	During the same period of time, no other cases have been approved for prospective relocation in the foreseeable future.

Departmental Pay

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in his Department.

Simon Burns: The current departmental reward system for grades administration officer (AO) to grade 6 has built-in, higher premia, which reflect the cost of living in the London region. Currently these premia are £3,500 for inner London and £1,750 for outer London. The number of staff on an inner London pay-scale (as at 30 September 2011) was 1,256, (giving a maximum of £4,396,000) and outer London was 39 (a maximum of £68,250). The maximum figures are calculated using headcount numbers on payroll. Actual expenditure will be less than those maximum figures as some Department staff work part-time.
	Some AO to grade 6 staff are eligible for ‘legacy' payments, which relate to previous costs of living in London, on a reserved rights basis. The estimated cost of these payments is £206,711.
	There are no regional premia or allowances attached to senior civil service pay scales.

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade profession magazines in 2010-11.

Simon Burns: Expenditure on newspapers, periodicals and magazines purchased for library use in financial year 2010-11 was £169,686 and from April 2011 to date was £52,788. This does not include publications purchased by individual units as local expenditure was devolved from April 2010 and the information is no longer held centrally.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to third sector organisations in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to (a) small, (b) medium-sized and (c) large businesses in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many contracts his Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; what proportion were awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b) small businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Department's central procurement database, which has provided the following information, holds information at the level of purchase order (PO)—these are individual items of expenditure and more than one PO may relate to a single contractual agreement.
	The following table sets information on purchase orders awarded to third sector organisations by month since May 2010.
	
		
			  PO Creation date Number of POs awarded to third sector organisations Total monthly PO value (£) 
			 2010 May 83 5,080,277.35 
			  June 63 1,475,514.09 
			  July 41 129,030.81 
			  August 67 2,373,930.41 
			  September 39 1,228,959.93 
			  October 52 2,787,669.17 
			  November 55 3,025,349.80 
			  December 48 1,380,619.08 
			 2011 January 48 1,682,418.14 
			  February 59 1,071,796.51 
			  March 59 2,190,488.24 
			  April 11 1,956,891.17 
			  May 9 23,425,727.33 
			  June 18 244,568.63 
			  July 13 30,932.75 
			  August 18 4,199,772.81 
		
	
	
		
			  September 11 2,436,608.38 
			  October 8 169,917.22 
		
	
	Suppliers are categorised simply according to whether they are a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) or not. Suppliers are not further categorised separately by small enterprise and medium-sized enterprise. The following table sets out information on purchase orders awarded to SMEs and non-SMEs by month since May 2010:
	
		
			  PO Creation date SME or non-SME supplier Number of POs awarded to non-SME or SME Total monthly PO value (£) 
			 2010 May Non-SME Commercial Supplier 532 39,183,145.04 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 369 7,991,056.82 
			  June Non-SME Commercial Supplier 527 85,478,962.88 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 286 12,071,267.23 
			  July Non-SME Commercial supplier 372 15,472,706.38 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 242 12,267,207.61 
			  August Non-SME Commercial Supplier 392 34,520,461.61 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 154 12,337,549.03 
			  September Non-SME Commercial Supplier 514 11,433,708.91 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 187 4,799,244.01 
			  October Non-SME Commercial Supplier 456 36,216,845.04 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 203 7,155,178.08 
			  November Non-SME Commercial Supplier 498 47,545,633.09 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 210 1,781,971.33 
			  December Non-SME Commercial Supplier 311 10,985,166.29 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 166 2,112,601.83 
			 2011 January Non-SME Commercial supplier 394 35,169,522.91 
		
	
	
		
			   SME Commercial Supplier 149 17,655480.23 
			  February Non-SME Commercial Supplier 405 9,769,790.22 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 172 2,495,222.96 
			  March Non-SME Commercial Supplier 505 27,072,473.18 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 235 9,639,484.15 
			  April Non-SME Commercial Supplier 186 30,243,827.75 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 96 13,545,853.90 
			  May Non-SME Commercial Supplier 208 39,557,768.29 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 88 1,591,531.28 
			  June Non-SME Commercial Supplier 328 93,444,950.43 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 128 15,882,092.23 
			  July Non-SME Commercial Supplier 250 13,717,226.15 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 97 14,183,572.51 
			  August Non-SME Commercial Supplier 259 44,900,738.06 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 84 2,049,183.98 
			  September Non-SME Commercial Supplier 227 8,372,253.47 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 94 3,610,157.56 
			  October Non-SME Commercial Supplier 115 2,495,716.56 
			   SME Commercial Supplier 41 373,776.37 
		
	
	The Department has advertised a total of 243 contracts or tenders on the Contracts Finder website, between May 2010 and July 2011. Information held within Contracts Finder does not permit reconciliation of the total contract value of these transactions or the proportion of business awarded to SMEs or third sector organisations.

Cyber-Security

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve cyber-security in relation to his Department's estate; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Government take cyber-security very seriously and it has been categorised as a tier one threat to the United Kingdom's national security. £650 million is being invested over the next four years in a National Cyber-Security programme, working across Departments, with the private sector, international partners and citizens to improve the UK's cyber-security capability.
	The Department routinely assesses the prevailing threats to its information and communications systems and applies appropriate and proportionate measures in accordance with the government standards set out in the Cabinet Office's Security Policy Framework (SPF); these standards are aligned with industry best practice approaches.
	It is not in the interest of national security to make public details of particular improvements in relation to individual Departments as it may expose vulnerabilities to those who may seek to exploit them.

Diabetes: Screening

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to provide resources for opticians, chiropodists and pharmacists to acquire facilities and training to screen for diabetes.

Paul Burstow: The Government have no plans to provide specific resources for opticians, chiropodists and pharmacists to acquire facilities and training to screen for diabetes.
	The Government remain committed to NHS Health Check, a public health programme for people in England aged 40-74 which assesses people's risk of developing or having undiagnosed diabetes, as part of a wider vascular risk assessment, and supports people to reduce or manage that risk through appropriate follow up.

Diabetes: Screening

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to encourage members of British South Asian communities to undergo early diabetes screening.

Paul Burstow: The Government remain committed to NHS Health Check, a public health programme for people in England aged 40-74 which assesses people's risk of developing or having undiagnosed diabetes, as part of a wider vascular risk assessment, and supports people to reduce or manage that risk through appropriate follow up.
	The NHS Health Check is included in the operating framework for the NHS in England 2011-12 and primary care trusts (PCTs) have been provided with funding for the programme in their baselines. Around 15 million people are eligible for the programme, which PCTs have been progressively rolling out since April 2009. The risk assessment element of the programme has been specifically designed so that it can be delivered in a variety of settings, including pharmacy and community settings to help ensure it is accessible to all. It is for PCTs to decide how best to commission their programmes to suit the needs of their individual populations, including how they meet the needs of members of the South Asian community, which has a higher risk of developing of diabetes than the national average.

General Practitioners: Codes of Practice

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines exist to assess the work of GPs who have previously been sanctioned for professional malpractice.

Anne Milton: The General Medical Council's (GMC) fitness to practise panels make decisions on appropriate sanctions for doctors whose fitness to practise is found to be impaired.
	If the panel directs that a period of conditions or suspension should be imposed on a doctor's registration, it will usually also direct that a review hearing takes place shortly before the date on which the sanction is due to expire. At the review hearing, a panel will consider whether any further action needs to be taken against the doctor's registration.
	Panels make their decisions independently, but are required to take account of the GMC's policy and guidance in determining the appropriate sanction, for example the GMC's ‘Indicative Sanctions Guidance’.
	Guidance for local primary care trusts on managing general practitioners (GPs) where concerns about their practice have been identified is published by the National Clinical Assessment Service in ‘Handling performance concerns in primary care (2010)’ and also in ‘The Back on Track Framework for Further Training—Restoring practitioners to safe and valued practice’.

General Practitioners: Newham

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs in the London borough of Newham have been sanctioned for professional malpractice but continue to practice in the borough.

Anne Milton: This information is not centrally held. The hon. Member may wish to contact NHS East London and the City for further information.

Genito-urinary Medicine: Young People

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to promote sexual health amongst young people.

Anne Milton: Improving sexual health by reducing unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections is very important for young people. Young people need the right information and advice to make responsible choices. We are planning to publish our policy document on sexual health next year and this document will consider how these issues should be tackled, focusing on public health, and an evidence based approach.

Health

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria he plans to use to determine which draft outcome indicators will be included in the final Public Health Outcomes Framework.

Anne Milton: We published a list of 12 criteria for the selection of indicators in the consultation on the Public Health Outcomes Framework. They have been further refined by feedback from the consultation and engagement exercises with key stakeholders. An additional criterion was added as a result of this process. The criteria are as follows:
	measure of health outcome or factor closely correlated to a health outcome;
	aligns with the Government's direction for public health;
	aligns with other Government Departments priorities/strategies;
	evidence-based interventions to support the measure;
	amenable to public health intervention, e.g. by public health professionals, local authorities, Public Health England, national health service;
	major cause of premature mortality or avoidable ill health;
	improvements in this measure will improve health-related quality of life (including mental health);
	improvement in this measure will help reduce inequalities in health;
	improvement in this measure will help improve healthy life expectancy;
	meaningful to, and likely to be perceived as important by, the public;
	meaningful to, and likely to be perceived as important by, local authorities;
	existing system to collect data required to monitor the measure; and
	statistically appropriate, fit for purpose.
	In the light of these criteria, Ministers will decide which indicators are included in the final outcomes framework to be published in the autumn.

Health Services

Phillip Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has plans for the future consolidation of acute services.

Simon Burns: It is for national health service commissioners, working with providers, to determine the most effective configuration of services to deliver high quality care. It is important that strategic decisions are taken at the appropriate level, where commissioning is underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs.
	The development of reconfiguration proposals by the NHS should also satisfy the Secretary of State for Health’s four tests. These are that schemes should demonstrate:
	a clear clinical evidence base, which focuses on improved outcomes for patients;
	clear support for proposals from general practitioners as the commissioners of local services;
	strengthened arrangements for patient and public engagement; and
	support for patient choice.

Health Services: Greater London

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether health services will be centralised at The Royal London Hospital should the proposed merger plans of the Barts and East London Healthcare Trust proceed;
	(2)  whether local GP commissioning groups will be involved in service reconfiguration as a result of the proposed merger plans of the Barts and East London Healthcare Trust;
	(3)  whether a mechanism is in place to retain health services currently being delivered in Newham in the borough should the proposed merger of the Barts and East London Healthcare Trust proceed;
	(4)  what financial modelling of the proposed merger of the Barts and East London Healthcare Trust has taken place in respect of (a) Newham University Trust's revenue deficit, (b) Whipps Cross University Hospital's capital deficit and (c) the private finance initiative requirements on Barts and the London Hospital;
	(5)  whether a mechanism is in place to ensure equal access to services and consultants for residents of the London borough of Newham should the proposed merger of Barts and East London take place.

Simon Burns: This is a matter for the local national health service.
	An outline business case for the proposal to establish Barts and East London Healthcare (BELH) was approved by NHS London on 4 August 2011. The three trusts, Barts and the London NHS Trust, Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust and Newham University Hospital NHS Trust have continued to develop the proposal into a full business case which includes work on financial modelling for all trusts involved in the prospective merger.
	In the future it will be for local general practitioner commissioning groups to ensure that local services meet the needs of the local population. They will work closely with local acute providers to improve quality of care. BELH's immediate priority, when established, will be to improve local services.

Hearing Impairment: Health Services

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to encourage accessible audiology services in England.

Paul Burstow: In 2010, the Department funded NHS Improvement to work with a number of national health service organisations to identify the benefits of pathway redesign in audiology services and spread good practice. Models to improve accessibility of audiology services including delivering care closer to home, delivering services in the community and the introduction of direct access healthcare scientist-led clinics have been identified and shared with the NHS.
	A key enabler to improve accessibility is extending patient choice of provider which is intended to empower patients and carers, improve their outcomes and experience, enable service innovation and free up clinicians to drive change and improve practice.
	Any qualified provider (AQP) is a model to support such choice—it means that when patients are referred (usually by their general practitioner) for a particular service, they should be able to choose from a list of qualified providers which meet NHS service quality requirements, prices and normal contractual obligations. Adult hearing services is one of the eight clinical areas identified through consultation as a priority for the first phase of AQP implementation. Subject to local commissioning decisions, during 2012, the AQP model will start to benefit people with hearing problems and will be a key step to ensuring greater access, choice and convenience for patients needing audiology services.

HIV Infection

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to tackle HIV in the UK.

Anne Milton: The Department continues to fund the Terrence Higgins Trust and African Health Policy Network for national HIV prevention programmes for men who have sex with men and people from African communities respectively. This is additional to local HIV prevention funded by the national health service and others.
	The Department is also taking steps to increase HIV testing to help reduce undiagnosed and late diagnosis of HIV. The Department funded eight pilot projects to assess the feasibility of increasing HIV testing in a primary and secondary care. The Health Protection Agency reviewed the pilots and we are considering the findings of their review report published in September. A copy of the report, “Time to test for HIV: Expanding HIV testing in healthcare and community services in England”, has been placed in the Library.
	The Department is also funding the Medical Foundation for AIDS and Sexual Health to produce resources to support primary care staff in offering HIV testing.

Hospitals: Correspondence

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether guidance is in place regarding the length of time an hon. Member should wait to receive a response to correspondence from a Chief Executive of a Hospital Alliance in respect of a constituency matter.

Simon Burns: All national health service organisations have a procedure for handling complaints within a reasonable period of time, and we would expect enquiries from hon. Members to be accorded at least the same priority.

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the level of expenditure from the public purse on musculoskeletal diseases in the NHS in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: Estimated gross expenditure on problems of the musculoskeletal system in England in 2009-10 was £4.76 billion. This estimate is derived from programme budgeting returns from strategic health authorities and primary care trusts. It includes the costs of prescribing by general practitioners, but not the cost of primary care consultations.

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the contribution by the Minister of State of 4 July 2011, Official Report, column 1345, on musculoskeletal diseases, whether the National Quality Board has met to discuss musculoskeletal diseases.

Paul Burstow: The National Quality Board met on 14 July 2011. In the course of a discussion on its future work programme, the board noted the proposal from the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance for an outcome strategy for musculoskeletal disease. The board concluded that the final decision on whether to develop such a strategy must rest with the Department; and the board would stand ready to help with any issues of implementation.

Neurology

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on making provision in the Health and Social Care Bill for establishing and supporting neurology networks.

Paul Burstow: We are committed to retain and strengthen clinical networks and to use clinical networks to help ensure that a range of professionals play an integral part in the clinical commissioning of patient care. A review of current networks is being undertaken to assess how they can, in the future, most effectively support clinical commissioning groups and the NHS Commissioning Board in their commissioning arrangements.
	Networks will not be separate new organisations, but it is expected that in future they will be hosted by the NHS Commissioning Board, to allow them to maximise the range and scale of support they provide to be most effective to clinical commissioning groups.

NHS: Finance

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2011, Official Report, column 1053W, on NHS: finance, what information his Department holds on income from third parties received by the NHS.

Simon Burns: The document “NHS (England) Summarised Accounts 2010-2011 (HC1297)”, which is available in the Library, discloses information on income received by strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and national health service trusts. The income disclosures for each type of body can be found at pages A23, B27 and C26 of the published document. The document can be viewed electronically at the following URL:
	www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc1012/hc12/1297/1297.pdf
	The Department collects data, for the purpose of producing the Summarised Accounts, from the NHS via the audited summarisation schedules. These schedules require NHS bodies to disclose, for each income line in the accounts, how much of that income is from other NHS bodies.
	As such the Department is able to derive, for each income line in the accounts, how much of that income is received from third parties (i.e. non-NHS bodies). However, it is not possible to disaggregate this income by individual (non-NHS) third parties.
	The Department does not collect data from NHS foundation trusts. Where an NHS trust obtains foundation trust status, the Summarised Account of NHS trusts only includes the part of the year the organisation operated as an NHS trust.
	Additionally, the Department has historically collected some data on income from staff, patient and visitors from parking charges. In this respect, I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 12 September 2011, Official Report, column 1053W.

NHS: Redundancy

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS public health consultant posts have been made redundant since May 2010; and what proportion of those were from black and ethnic minority backgrounds.

Anne Milton: Data on public health consultant redundancies and the associated diversity data are not collected centrally.
	As part of the Department's commitment to ensuring a smooth transition to the new local public health service, the Department has, since April 2011, collected data from strategic health authorities and primary care trusts on the total number of public health staff in post. The Department is analysing the information collected and this work will enable the Department to identify increases or reductions in specific functions.

NHS: Reorganisation

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effects of planned NHS reorganisation on the number of public health professionals in the NHS.

Anne Milton: As part of our commitment to ensuring a smooth transition to the new local public health service, the Department is monitoring the total number of public health staff in post in strategic health authorities and primary care trusts.
	A baseline position of staff numbers within the public health workforce was established in April 2011 and updates are supplied and assessed on a quarterly basis. The Department is analysing the information collected and this work will enable the Department to identify increases or reductions in specific functions.
	The Department's intention is to ensure that public health capability is maintained and robust transition arrangements are in place, and is working closely with strategic health authority cluster directors of public health who are responsible for overseeing public health transition in their regions.

Ovarian Cancer

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether ovarian cancer is included in his Department and Cancer Research UK's Stratified Medicine Programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to make (a) members of the public and (b) GPs aware of the (i) signs and (ii) symptoms of ovarian cancer; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  when his Department will publish guidance on how clinical commissioning groups should work with local authorities to promote (a) cancer prevention and (b) the awareness and early diagnosis of cancer; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what recent assessment he has made of whether a population screening programme should be introduced for ovarian cancer; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: In “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer”, published on 12 January 2011, we have committed over £450 million over the next four years to support earlier diagnosis of cancer. This money will be used to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer; fund increased general practitioner (GP) access to diagnostic tests; and pay for more testing and treatment in secondary care. One of the tests we are increasing access to is non-obstetric ultrasound to support the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. We are working on a guide to help GPs with the relevant criteria for requesting non-obstetric ultrasounds.
	To assess what more can be done to encourage appropriate referrals to secondary care and to diagnose less common cancers such as ovarian cancer earlier, the Strategy also set out our commitment to work with a number of rarer cancer-focused charities to discuss their concerns. Departmental officials have already met with a number of these charities, including an ovarian cancer charity, with the aim of identifying some of the barriers to early diagnosis, such as symptom awareness, and to discuss potential solutions. This will inform our future work in this area.
	Early symptoms ovarian cancer can include pain in the pelvis and lower stomach, persistent bloating and difficulty eating. However, they can be difficult to recognise, especially when the disease is at an early stage, as they are often the same as the symptoms of other, less serious, conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome or pre-menstrual syndrome.
	To improve public awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer the Department has worked with health professionals, patient groups and charities to develop key standardised messages on ovarian cancer for the public. These are now available on NHS Choices and the Department encourages the national health service and charities to use them widely in awareness raising activities. Key messages have also been developed for health professionals to support the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer and are available on the Department's website.
	In April this year, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published a clinical guideline, the “Recognition and initial management of ovarian cancer”, which sets out recommendations for the detection of the disease in primary care. In addition to this, NICE is developing a Quality Standard (QS) for ovarian cancer which will set out what good ovarian cancer treatment and support looks like and will help support clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) when they take responsibility for commissioning ovarian cancer services. Detection of ovarian cancer in primary care will also be considered when developing this standard.
	Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, the Department will hold the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) to account for the outcomes it achieves through the NHS Outcomes Framework, and will publish a mandate to the NHS CB which will set out objectives the NHS CB should seek to achieve. The Department will not, therefore, issue guidance directly to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but the NHS CB will be able to publish guidance for clinical commissioning groups, to which CCGs must have regard.
	The Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) will be the forum to bring together elected councillors, local authority officers, patient representatives and clinical commissioning groups to develop shared understanding of local need, develop joint local priorities, and encourage commissioners to work in a more integrated and joined up manner, we have strengthened the requirements around HWBs involvement in the commissioning plans of CCGs.
	Regarding the introduction of a screening programme for ovarian cancer, the NHS Constitution commits the Government to provide screening programmes as recommended by the United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC is responsible for advising Ministers and the NHS in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy.
	The UK NSC's current position on ovarian cancer screening is that it should not be offered except in the context of the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKTOCS) randomised controlled trial. The UK NSC agreed at its meeting in June 2010 that screening for ovarian cancer would next be reviewed when results of UKTOCS were published or earlier if any new significant peer reviewed evidence emerges in the meantime. The initial follow up of the UKTOCS trial is expected to be complete in December 2014.
	Finally, the Department is a partner in the Technology Strategy Board's Stratified Medicine Innovation Platform (SMIP) initiative and also Cancer Research UK's (CRUK) Stratified Medicine Programme. The SMIP brings together the stratified medicine-related activities of a number of important organisations to accelerate the development and uptake of stratified medicine in the UK. Specifically in cancer, the SMIP has so far invested £6 million in industry-led collaborations developing new genetic tests and data handling solutions, which are co-ordinated with CRUK's Stratified Medicine Programme.
	CRUK is carrying out a two-year project to collect genetic data from tumours and information on how gene faults affect patient survival, helping research to develop new cancer drugs targeted at specific genetic mutations. The project will recruit up to 9,000 patients and collect data on six tumour types, including ovarian.

Palliative Care: Liverpool

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how often the Liverpool Care Pathway has been used in each primary care trust in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what obligation there is for medical staff to discuss the Liverpool Care Pathway with family or carers of a patient;
	(3)  what guidelines are issued relating to the use of the Liverpool Care Pathway.

Paul Burstow: The Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) was developed by the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute in Liverpool as an approach to support the delivery of good care in the last days of life. Where the LCP is utilised, senior doctors and nurses involved in the patient's care should agree that death is very likely to be imminent and that being placed on the pathway will be beneficial to the patient. The decision to use the pathway should always involve the patient if possible, and family members if not.
	The Department does not collect information centrally on how often the LCP has been used as a possible option for treating patients. The latest information on the LCP is available from the LCP website, which also provides information on how the pathway should be used:
	www.mcpcil.org.uk/liverpool-care-pathway/index.htm

Physiotherapy: Arthritis

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve access to specialist physiotherapy services for people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the report of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, “RA and physiotherapy: a national survey”, published in October 2011, if he will take steps to improve early intervention access to physiotherapy for people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to improve access to physiotherapy services for people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Paul Burstow: The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy “RA and physiotherapy: a national survey” provides welcome additional information for local services in considering how they might improve services for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.
	There have been a number of initiatives to improve access to physiotherapy and other allied health professional (AHP) services. These include:
	The self-referral to physiotherapy pilots which supported the findings from research in Scotland. The pilots identified a number of benefits including earlier presentation and supporting self-care by empowering patients to be more actively involved in managing their condition. Information about this project can be found in the “Self-referral pilots to musculoskeletal physiotherapy and the implications for improving access to other AHP services”:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_116358.pdf
	Information from APH Referral to Treatment data collection will enable AHPs, including physiotherapists, to innovate to improve services. The “Allied Health Professional Referral to Treatment guide” can be found at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_115297.pdf
	The AHP Service Improvement Project which demonstrated in a range of services, including physiotherapy, how service redesign can improve access and clinical outcomes. Details about this project can be found at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_126840

Prescription Drugs: Packaging

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has considered reviewing the regulations of packaging for prescription drugs for the purpose of ensuring that each individual strip or part of strip is packaged and labelled clearly; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The requirements for medicines labelling are set out in European and national legislation. Blister strips are intended to be enclosed within outer packaging which is fully labelled with detailed information on the safe and effective use of the product. Each blister strip must be labelled with the name of the product, the expiry date, batch number and the name and address of the marketing authorisation holder.
	The Medicines Act consolidation and review of the legislation, including the provisions for the labelling of medicines supplied in blister strips, will be subject to a public consultation.

Thalidomide

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were issued for the sedative drug Thalidomide in each of the last three years.

Simon Burns: Thalidomide is listed in the British National Formulary as a possible treatment for leprosy and untreated multiple myeloma. The table shows the actual number of prescription items dispensed in the community for Thalidomide in each of the last three calendar years.
	
		
			 Thalidomide prescription items written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community in England 
			  Number 
			 2008 464 
			 2009 404 
			 2010 267 
			 Total 1,135 
			 Note: The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals, including mental health trusts, or private prescriptions. It is unknown how many prescription items were dispensed in these areas which means it is unknown what the total number of thalidomide prescriptions were. Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Tax Benefits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he proposes that local authorities will have access to real-time PAYE data for the purpose of calculating council tax benefit.

Bob Neill: holding answer 18 October 2011
	The consultation on localising support for council tax in England from April 2013-14 closed on 14 October. We will be publishing the Government response to the consultation in due course, where further details will be set out, including on any future arrangements for sharing data.
	The Government recognise that sharing data will be an important way of maximising convenience and reducing complexity for claimants, while also helping to reduce administrative costs.

Councillors: Teachers

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on teachers at foundation schools standing for election as councillors in the local authority that maintains their school.

Bob Neill: We are reviewing the provisions of section 80 of the Local Government Act 1972, under which teachers in foundation schools are disqualified from being a member of the local authority that maintains the school, and intend to reach conclusions in due course.

Sick Leave

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for how many days on average his Department's staff in each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in 2010-11.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government lost an average of 6.4 days per staff member in the 2010-11 year. This covers any sickness absence in the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011.
	The average working days lost breakdown by civil service pay grade is as follows:
	
		
			  Average working days lost 
			 Administrative Assistant (AA) 36.6 
			 Administrative Officer (AO) 14.5 
			 Executive Officer (EO) 9.1 
			 Higher Executive Officer (HEO) 5.9 
			 Senior Executive Officer (SEO) 5.6 
			 Grade 7 (G7) 3.9 
			 Grade 6 (G6) 3.4 
			 Senior Civil Service (SCS) 3.3 
		
	
	Please note the figures for administrative assistants are heavily influenced by the low number of staff at this grade, a total of four staff in the Department for 2010-11.

Fire Services: Pensions

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of fire services employees are members of Government-guaranteed pension schemes; and what estimate he has made of changes to this proportion over the next five years.

Bob Neill: As at the end of 2009-10, fire and rescue authorities in England reported that there were:
	24,351 regular firefighter members and 145 optants outs of the Firefighters' Pension Scheme 1992, representing a participation rate of 99.4%
	5,045 regular firefighter members (which includes whole-time and part-time regulars but excludes retained) and 392 optants of the New Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2006, representing a participation rate of 92.8%, and
	6,928 retained firefighter members and 2,833 optants out of the New Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2006, representing a participation rate of 71.0%.
	The Department does not hold information on the percentage of control staff who are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
	The Treasury published an estimate of likely opt-out rates for the unfunded public service pension schemes at the spending review:
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sr2010_policycostings.pdf
	which has been scrutinised by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility. No further estimate has been made on changes to participation rates over the next five years.

Fire Services: Pensions

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the proportion of workers who will opt out of fire service pension schemes in the next five years.

Bob Neill: In his interim report, the right hon. the Lord Hutton of Furness, recommended increasing employee contributions as the cost of public service pensions had increased by a third due to improving longevity and this additional cost had fallen primarily on taxpayers. The Government accepted Lord Hutton's rationale and, at the spending review, announced the intention to implement progressive increases to employee contribution rates in public sector pension schemes, equivalent to 3.2% on average to be phased in from April 2012.
	The Treasury published an estimate of likely opt-out rates, which applied to the fire service pension schemes, at the spending review:
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sr2010_policycostings.pdf
	which has been scrutinised by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility.
	To help minimise opt-outs, a statutory consultation for the firefighters' pension schemes, published on 9 September 2011, proposes that any increases in contributions should be progressive and phased, and that there will be protection from increases for lower earners. There will also remain a strong economic rationale for all members to remain in good quality, guaranteed, reformed public service pension schemes.

Homelessness

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effects of the draft national housing policy framework on homelessness.

Grant Shapps: holding answer 13 October 2011
	I assume my hon. Friend is referring to the National Planning Policy Framework.
	An assessment of the impact of policies in the draft National Planning Policy Framework is set out in the consultation stage impact assessment which was published on 25 July 2011 and placed in the Library of the House.
	The impact assessment indicates that local communities could benefit from overall increases in housing and an increase in affordable housing delivered through developer contributions. The wider benefits of more affordable units include less homelessness and overcrowding.

Housing: Fires

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons his Department objects to the undertaking of further research to assess the potential benefits of installing sprinklers in new domestic premises as set out in the Building Regulations (Review) Bill.

Andrew Stunell: The Government have no objections to the undertaking of research to assess the potential benefits of installing sprinklers in new domestic premises. Officials from my Department have been working with the Chief Fire Officers Association who commissioned the Building Research Establishment to carry out further work in this area. We look forward to seeing the results of this work.
	The Government's views on the Building Regulations (Review) Bill were set out during its second reading 22 October 2010, Official Report, column 1019.

Local Government Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to bring forward a money resolution in respect of the Local Government Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill.

Bob Neill: holding answer 17 October 2011
	Following discussions my hon. Friend has had with my officials, we are preparing agreed amendments in the light of which we will as necessary bring forward any money resolution.

Mobile Homes: Licensing

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to consult on measures to improve the licensing regime for mobile park homes.

Grant Shapps: I announced on 10 February 2011, Official Report, columns 14-15WS, my proposal to consult on a range of measures to improve the licensing regime which applies to park home and caravan sites so local authorities are better equipped and resourced to tackle problems of poor management in the sector and so better protect the health and safety of residents. I also announced that my plan to consult on improvements to the buying and selling process of park homes to prevent the unacceptable practice of the blocking of lawful sales by unscrupulous site owners and to provide an effective means of redress for residents where this happens. In May my officials and I met with key industry and resident partners, and my officials met separately with local authority partners and representatives of holiday caravan owners, to help inform the consultation and gain a better understanding of the expectations and aspirations of our partners in this sector of the housing market. I plan to publish the consultation shortly.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to support the development of local authority mortgage schemes in England; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: I welcome local initiatives to support the provision of mortgages to meet local needs, such as the Blackpool and Warrington mortgage schemes.
	My officials have provided advice and contacts to local authorities and private sector partners involved in the development of local authority-backed mortgage schemes, and continue to keep in touch with progress.

Non-domestic Rates

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the potential effect of the Government's proposed reform of business rates on economic growth at local authority level in (a) the current spending review period and (b) five years beyond the current spending review period.

Bob Neill: holding answer 13 October 2011
	The impact of the Government's proposals will depend on a range of factors, including future business rates growth at the local level, the behavioural response to the changes, and the final design of the scheme following consultation. The Government have sought views on their proposals and, on 19 August, published eight technical papers which provide further details on the proposals, together with an interactive calculator. The calculator enables users to explore the possible effects of certain scheme design options based upon their own assumptions about local circumstances.
	The proposals incorporate a range of protections to ensure councils can meet local needs, including a safety net for places in need of additional support, funded by a levy covering a share of disproportionate gain.

Non-domestic Rates

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the causal link between local authority service delivery and (a) economic growth and (b) the growth of the business rates tax base in that local authority area.

Bob Neill: holding answer 17 October 2011
	The Department has not made any assessment of the causal link between local authority service delivery and (a) economic growth and (b) the growth of the business rates tax base in that local authority area.
	Our plans for the local retention of business rates will provide new incentives for councils to use their powers and influence to promote enterprise and business growth.

Planning Permission

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what relative weighting he advises local planning authorities to attach to (a) areas of outstanding natural beauty, (b) green belt areas and (c) flood risk areas, when drawing up local plans; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: holding answer 13 October 2011
	The National Planning Policy Framework currently out to public consultation explains that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. The proposed policies in the framework when taken as a whole set out the Government's view of what constitutes sustainable development in practice. These policies provide strong protections for areas of outstanding natural beauty and the green belt and are designed to prevent inappropriate building in areas of high flood risk.

Property Development

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations he has received on the risk of permitted development rights resulting in more extensive developments.

Bob Neill: Permitted development rights enable certain types of development to be undertaken without the need for specific planning permission where the need to apply for permission would be out of proportion with the impacts of development. They are subject to limitations and conditions to control associated impacts and are set at a level which we believe is appropriate. Local councils can extend or withdraw permitted development rights locally in response to local circumstances and demands. Through correspondence received, the Government monitors the operation of permitted development rights in practice.

Rent

Nick Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was paid to each local authority to meet the costs of payment of (a) rental allowance and (b) rent rebates in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Small Businesses: Empty Property

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of small and medium-sized businesses in (i) in Witham constituency, (ii) Essex and (iii) England that qualify for business rate relief on empty properties.

Bob Neill: The Department does not collect data on business rate relief on empty properties split by size of business or at constituency level. However the number of hereditaments in receipt of empty property relief in England for 2011-12 was published on the Department for Communities and Local Government website on 25 May 2011:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/nondomesticrates201112f
	The following shows the most recent data available on the number and proportion of hereditaments in receipt of empty property relief for England and Essex:
	
		
			 Number and proportion of hereditaments in receipt of empty property relief as at 31 December 2010 
			  Number of hereditaments in receipt of empty property relief Proportion of hereditaments in receipt of empty property relief (1)  (Percentage) 
			 Essex—shire districts only 3,884 9 
			 Essex—including unitary authorities Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock 4,766 9 
			    
			 England 220,631 13 
			 (1) Hereditaments in receipt of empty property relief as proportion of all hereditaments. Source: NNDR1 & NNDR1 Supplementary Forms 2011-12 
		
	
	The data are as reported to the Department for Communities and Local Government by all billing authorities in England on the annual national non-domestic rates and national non-domestic rates (supplementary) returns.

Social Rented Housing

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new (a) private and (b) social-rented homes were developed in the Peterborough city council area in 2010-11.

Andrew Stunell: According to the National Statistics on house building, 672 new-build homes were completed in the Peterborough city council area in 2010-11, of which 387 were in the private tenure and 285 were in the housing association tenure. The National Statistics on house building are published on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/housebuilding/

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what obligations there are on local authorities to provide (a) temporary and (b) permanent facilities for Travellers and Gypsies.

Bob Neill: holding answer 17 October 2011
	The Government published their draft new planning policy for Traveller sites for consultation in April. The consultation closed in August. We are currently analysing the responses and intend to publish a new policy as soon as possible.
	In the meantime, Circular 01/2006 (Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites) and Circular 04/2007 (Planning for Travelling Showpeople) are extant. However, decision makers are entitled to have regard to the fact that it is intended to withdraw them and replace them with the draft policy.

Vacant Land: Planning Permission

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications have been submitted for sites on green belt land in each (a) category and (b) region in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion were (i) successful at the first stage of application, (ii) rejected at the first stage and taken to appeal and (iii) successful at appeal.

Bob Neill: Information on planning applications within the green belt submitted to district level local authorities is not available centrally. Statistics published by the Department do show, however, that between 2% and 3% of new dwellings were built in the green belt each year between 2001 and 2010. I would add that the last Government's top-down regional strategies sought to remove green belt protection in 30 towns and cities across the country.

Winter Resilience

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to improve winter resilience for the 2011-12 winter.

Bob Neill: My Department is working closely with colleagues in the Cabinet Office, Department for Transport, local partners and the voluntary sector to develop robust plans for winter 2011-12. The cross-departmental "Get Ready for Winter" campaign will be launched during the week of 24-30 October supported by information available on:
	www.Direct.gov.uk
	giving advice to people in the community on how to prepare for winter. This information will be updated throughout the winter period.
	DCLG Resilience Advisers are currently gathering information from Local Resilience Fora on their preparations for winter, including public awareness campaigns and drawing attention to the importance of good relationships between Local Highways Authorities and ports. This information will be shared with other local partners across the country and with key Departments to enable good practice and preparedness for winter.
	In addition, my Department has agreed to broker mutual aid if approached by Local Highway Authorities or owners of key infrastructure, such as ports, if their salt stocks run unexpectedly low.